Almost Heaven
by An Unknown Foreign Beauty
Summary: Dark AU. Aladdin was not captured by the guards on his way back from Jasmine's room. He keeps stealing things from her and promises to return in their next meeting. Jafar gets the lamp before Aladdin. The story goes on... Set in the live-action universe.
1. The third meeting

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 1- The Third Meeting**

_(A live-action AU fanfiction)_

Moonlight spilled down the terrace steps, bright white light covering the carefully trimmed trees in the palace garden, making everything glitter. Stars twinkled overhead, and time to time night birds cried, and crickets buzzed, creating a melodic backdrop as Jasmine waited for Aladdin.

Unknowingly her hand traveled to her unbound hair, hidden behind a sheer purple veil. Last night, the thief from the market broke into the palace, stole her hairpin, and promised to return.

She gazed up to the moon. The moon had just risen when she left her chambers, but now the silver ball of light was shining directly above her head. But he had not been there yet.

"Still waiting for the thief from the market who has a monkey?" Jasmine startled with the voice of her handmaid, Dalia.

"No, no. I, uh, just came out to…" She trailed off. She knew couldn't fool Dalia. The handmaid could always see through her. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Yes," She was surprised to hear the disappointment in her own voice. She was not seriously expected him to come. They had met a grand total of two times, and yet, there was something about him that didn't leave her mind. A connection, a bond, that was unknowingly pulling her towards him. The glimpse of his pure soul that she had in their time together, while running from the guards, and it was drawing her closer and closer to him. It felt like both of them were trapped in the same situation, and he seemed to understand exactly what she was going through, respected what she had to say. But how would she ever get to find out what that meant, if he didn't return?

"Men make promises," Dalia put one hand over her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "But they rarely keep promises."

Jasmine didn't answer. Only her gaze searched the moon. Knowing Jasmine was not ready to answer her question yet, Dalia leaned close to the princess' ear. "I am going upstairs. Call me if you need."

Jasmine nodded, without looking at the handmaid's retreating form. Possibly…possibly….she could wait for a while.

She wandered forward, absentmindedly running her hand over the jasmine blooms over the stairs. Her mother loved this flower; she named her daughter after it. After her mother's death, the sultan never set foot in the garden. Because it painfully reminded him of his late wife. Jasmine loved these flowers. Somehow this flower reminded her of her mother.

At the edge of the garden, she stopped and then turned to the right and stepped into the arbor. The moon had slowly begun to descend near the horizon, and Jasmine wondered if she would wait for a few more hours. Maybe…maybe…he was still making his way towards the palace.

She had been standing there for several minutes when a husky voice spoke behind her: "Daila."

Startled by Aladdin's silent arrival, Jasmine whirled around and stared at him, her hand automatically at her throat. She wanted to shout at him for his delay, but the mischievous expression in his eyes somehow made her forget her anger.

"Sorry for the delay." He smiled his magical smile, and his hand touched her loose hair. "I was waiting for the guards to fall asleep."

Feeling as if she were in a dream, Jasmine touched her hair and found the hairpin back into its place. "How could you…." She opened her mouth to ask for an explanation, but his left hand closed around her fingers, engulfing them, and suddenly she was in the arms of a man she had barely known.

"I know my ways." He whispered in her ears, and his fingers slid into her earring. Before she could even understand what was happening, she found her right ear empty. She should have felt threatened, in the presence of a street thief who could steal things in the wave of his fingers,-especially out in the starlit darkness-but she felt safe and protected, far more than in the presence of any princes she met before.

She was, however, beginning to feel a little awkward, being robbed every now and then, and she decided some form of conversation was in order. "I can hand you over to the guards anytime," she said noticing the earring now dangling from his fingers.

There was a smile in his voice as Aladdin answered, "I doubt it." He winked.

"You are a thief." Jasmine shoved him away with mock anger, "That day I wasn't wrong about you."

"I imagine I've been called worse," The thief said mildly. "Particularly by the guards standing outside your doors…"

Jasmine wondered what could be worse than being called a thief, but good manners forbade her asking. Lifting her head, she gazed deeply into his eyes and asked, "You don't mean to demand satisfaction by outsmarting them every day, do you?"

"I hope," he teased, grinning, "That I'm not so ungrateful as to spoil their morning strolls. Besides, there is no fun if they just walk around the city lazily. "

Jasmine chuckled, her cheeks warm with embarrassment. "You really enjoy that."

"Maybe." Aladdin's ember eyes twinkled with mischief.

Jasmine's wide brown eyes shadowed, and he added reassuringly, "Regardless of that, I only steal only what I can't afford."

That, Jasmine thought to herself, was probably the difference between a thief in disguise, like the foolish price Anders who wanted to steal her kingdom, and a thief made, like a certain one standing right before her. She had seen the city drowning in poverty every time she strolled in the roads in disguise. What was happening in her city? Where did all the money go?

"Dalia?"

Too immersed in her own thoughts to think how her words would sound, she nodded and said, "The guards are tearing through the city. People can't live in fear every day. The princess must need to know that."

"She must go out more," Aladdin contradicted, "She can't just stay locked in her room and let foreign princes take over the city."

"It's the law," she sighed, "The princess must marry a prince."

"Then she can teach her husband about her people. How can she do that if she doesn't know about her own people?"

"Teach her husband? Do you mean," Jasmine almost shouted in surprise, hearing such wise words from a street thief, "the princess can ask her husband to help him rule?"

Aladdin's smile faded, alarmed. "Did I just offend the princess?"

Gazing up into those mesmerizing amber eyes, with him standing just an arm's length away from her, Jasmine couldn't think very clearly. She wasn't certain anything mattered at that moment except the sound of his deep, mesmerizing voice. "I suppose not," she said.

But Aladdin's eyes were already darting back and forth in alarm. Faint footsteps of the guards echoed from a distance.

"The guards are coming," He whispered, and for the first time, Jasmine realized they were standing so close that their breath grazed each other's skin. "I must go."

Her mind whirled, trying to come up with some sort of excuse that would stop him from leaving. But the footsteps were approaching closer and closer. With no other excuse to make him stay for another moment, Jasmine tried to ignore her disappointment and stepped back, but just then Aladdin leaned closer and moved a stray piece of hair from her face.

"Tomorrow, I'll come to return this. Wait for me by the lake," he whispered, her earring twinkled in his hand and his warm breath stirred the hair at her temple.

Warning bells screamed through her. If she lifted her head, his lips would touch hers. She didn't want to kiss him, did she? But somehow it seemed her mind had lost all the control over her body. Slowly, she lifted her head to find his lips against hers, but he was already gone.

**Review? Faves? Follows?**

**Let me know your thoughts in comments, as well as ideas if you want me to expand the story. Faves and follows will be awesome too. **

**The initial part of the chapter is taken from the movie novelization. There no need to say I am obsessed with the movie. **


	2. Life of a Street Rat

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 2- Life of a Street Rat**

Aladdin couldn't deny that he enjoyed his mornings, running and jumping across the buildings, escaping from the guards. But this morning he felt different-tired- in a strange kind of way. With the help of a pulley rope, he finally settled on the roof a ruined building, and let himself fall into the soft mattresses kept for drying. He landed with a dull thud, and let his limbs sprawl over the softness of the mattress. Until his side was pressed into something hard in his pocket.

His hand slipped inside and found the earring he stole from the handmaid from the palace. There was such wonder in her eyes, so much kindness that made his heart do a little summersault whenever he thought of her. He had no idea what this feeling called, but he was sure there was some connection between the two of them. He pressed the earring to his lips and sighed. It felt like he was living in a dream.

"Hey, thief…" A harsh voice called out from a distance and jerked him away from his dream. He raised his head to meet a small figure standing near him, with her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing on my mattress?"

"Just relaxing." Aladdin winked and grinned, scrambling to his feet, and found him face to face with a girl in bright green harem pants and a red top. The color clashed her skin tone, and her curly hair tumbling her shoulder.

"What is that in your hand?" The girl narrowed her eyes; her gaze fell instantly on the glittering jewelry in his hand.

"Umm…nothing." Aladdin quietly slipped the earring into his pocket. He couldn't trust her, not anyone. In the city of Agrabah, even street thief like him had chances to be robbed. And he had to keep his eyes open in the presence of people like him. "Just something I found lying beside the road. You don't need to worry, Morgiana."

"Well," Morgiana rolled her eyes. "Care to come inside? You can't fool the guards standing here."

"Ah…" Aladdin swallowed, throwing a glance below. The guards were still tearing through the streets. "Sure."

Abu, the money chattered in agreement on his shoulder. He decided to follow Morgiana inside.

It was one of the old mosques abandoned years ago, another of the unfinished projects of the late Sultana. Since the Sultana's death, nobody had seen the Sultan or the princess out in the city, except for some of the public events. It was the royal vizier who held all the power over him. For the last ten years the guards kept tearing through the city, all the riches went to the palace or Allah knew where, while the sultanate kept spiraling deeper and deeper into poverty.

Black windows on the empty houses stared like empty eye sockets. He followed Morgiana deeper and deeper into the building, and memories began flooding into his head. His childhood…. his mother carrying him door to door for refuge. Until one of these families gave them shelter.

It was a maze. A doorway here and a stairway there. And a deadly booby trap _there_—which Aladdin remembered at the last moment, pulling his foot back just before stepping onto the rope that would snap around him and fling him aloft, trussed up like a rabbit.

"Ouch..." Aladdin carefully avoided the booby trap and followed inside.

"Careful..." Grinning Morgiana tossed the rope aside with her feet and ordered him to sit down into an old torn mattress.

"You look famished." She observed his face for a moment and shook her head disapprovingly. "You must eat more if you want to keep your feet running."

Until then Aladdin didn't notice how hungry he was. He hadn't had anything since last night as he had been running away from the guards. But his head was swimming into dreams, and he forgot the most basic need of human life.

"Bread will be fine." He wetted his cracked lips. Morgiana raised one eyebrow and retreated to the small storage inside.

Aladdin took his time to observe the place. Surely it was nothing like the lavish place he observed in the princess' room two nights ago. It was dark, and gloomy, flooded with loneliness and desperation. Yet this was the place, he sometimes sought refuge, while running away from the guards. And Morgiana was the one to give him a hiding place whenever he needed it.

Morgiana returned with two loaves of bread. "Lucky I have these." She smiled, setting the plate in front of him. Aladdin looked at the bread on the plate. Not exactly fresh, but still they were food. Abu had already taken his piece and munching on it. Aladdin took his piece and took a bite.

"Thank you, Morgiana." He smiled, "I don't know what to do if not you help me to hide sometimes."

Morgiana's chocolate cheeks colored. She always did whenever he spoke or talked with her. They were only ten when they met, and teamed up to rob the people blind when they were young. They were apart when Morgiana was captured and sold as a slave to a pleasure house. It was Aladdin who broke her out one night. Since then she remained his trusted friend, providing him hiding places, distracting the guards.

"I am just expressing my gratitude, Aladdin." She smiled shyly, "You know that."

Aladdin knew. He also knew what she wanted from him.

"I know," Aladdin gave her a small smile, touching her hand. Morgiana's blush spread to her ears, she quickly removed her hand from his grasp.

"Thank you."

For a moment they fell silent. Aladdin kept munching on his bread and kept looking at the girl. She was smart and kind, but somehow the handmaid from the palace paled her. Morgiana was like a sister to him. She was not the one he wanted to be with.

It was Morgiana who broke the silence finally, "You know, Aladdin, you must settle down now. You can't just keep running away from the guards forever."

Her comment somehow brought a smirk to his lips. Him and marriage…how could it was possible? "It's only a daydream." He let out a throaty laugh. Morgiana threw him a hurt look.

"You can always consider." She picked up the plate from him and rose to dump it in the washing bucket.

_Consider…._

Unknowingly his hand traveled to his pocket, to the sparkling earring that sat comfortably in there. He could barely fend himself. How could he fend a wife? The scent of her sweet perfume still lingered to his nose; he could still feel the softness of the fabric wrapping her petite form. Did he have any right to drag her into a life of poverty?

He patted the jewelry in his pocket. He needed to escape from his dream. He needed to tell her the truth tonight.

**Review? Faves? Follows?**

**Next chapter- Jasmine meets his handsome thief again, but there is something more about him.**

**Morgiana is a character from "Ali Baba and 40 thieves.", but here she is before she meets Ali Baba. I picture her as the girl who distracted the guards during the song "One jump ahead" saying "Still I think he is rather tasty."**

**I am thinking about incorporating some of the other Arabian Night characters in here. Also some from Disney's twisted tales series.**


	3. Life of a princess

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 3- Life of a Princess**

To answer her father's summons, Jasmine dragged her thoughts from the memories of the handsome, brown-eyed thief who still haunted her days and nights. Lying the book down that she had been trying to read for hours, she gave the handmaid a puzzled look, then pulled her purple mantle closer over her shoulder and left her bedchamber.

Walking down the giant ornate steps of the dining hall, Jasmine couldn't but compare her current situation with the experience she had last night. _Aladdin and I,_ and she was surprised with herself with the way her heart thumped with the thought of his name. Possibly her cheeks colored a little, because Dalia whispered from beside her, "Still thinking about the thief from the market?"

"NO…" Jasmine jerked away from her thoughts, and shook her head violently, "No way." She raised her voice a little to hide the blush creeping to her ears. "Why should I?"

"I don't know." Dalia shrugged noncommittally, "I was just wondering."

"Keep your gossips to yourself." Jasmine shoved her away with mock anger, and the girls giggled together.

Several voices along with her father's raised in debate made Jasmine pause on the corridor and glance down into the hall. Her father, the Sultan, Vizier Jafar, and the dim-witted prince from Skånland were gathered around the dining table, pondering over some parchments. What was the dim-head was still doing with her father? She thought he had left after the incident with Rajah. The Sultan gave her a welcoming smile when she entered. The vizier remained expressionless as before. The dim-witted prince gave him a toothy grin which filled her mind with disgust. She ignored the rest of the men and walked near her father.

"Baba," She curtsied, getting a smile from her father in return, "How's your evening?"

"Excellent." The Sultan gave his daughter's hand an affectionate pat and led her towards the men waiting at the dinner table. "We are just discussing how our kingdom can be benefited with an alliance with Skånland."

"What?" Jasmine was really confused this time; she threw a more confused gaze towards the foreign prince sitting in her father's left.

"Ja," The prince of Skånland grinned, motioning towards the parchments and maps still lying over the table, "I was just telling that we can send exotic furs to Agrabah, in exchange of your men." Jasmines' eyes grew wider as the stupid prince continued, "I mean you have lots of hungry mouths to feed here. And we have so many uncultivated lands…"

"Wait…Prince…." Jasmine raised one hand to cut him off. Suddenly she realized she had forgotten his name. Her gaze was so furious that made the prince swallow nervously, "Are you talking about trading slaves?" Her voice suddenly hit two octaves higher making the rest of the people in the hall jump. Even the parrot sitting on Jafar shoulder forgot to mimic the princess, as he always did.

The princess's furious gaze deflated Prince Ander's courage a bit. "Ah…I…." He stammered, a futile attempt to defend his proposal, "I just wanted to tell, you may feel lonely in a foreign land after our marriage."

"Who told you that I agreed to marry you?" Jasmine was still furious. Her nostrils flared. She couldn't still believe that her father had tolerated this nonsense so long.

"Our princess has a little bit of temper, you know, Prince Anders," Jafar said in a smooth and condescending tone. "But a ruler must consider what is best for his kingdom. The kingdom is spiraling down into poverty."

Jasmine's hands clenched, and beside her, she felt Raja's hackles raise as he sensed his mistress's barely veiled anger. Jafar had no right to talk to her that way. She threw a desperate look at her father, knowing he wasn't doing anything to stop Jafar. Sometimes she wondered if he was hypnotized by the royal vizier.

'Sit down, daughter." He spoke and Jasmine looked into his eyes. She could see the look of guilt there but she knew her father was forced to do that. "You know we have a few tradable goods besides this ever-growing population."

"But, Baba…" She drew an exasperated breath, knowing well her words wouldn't have any value in a room full of men, "We can't sell our people to a foreign land."

"I understand, daughter…" The Sultan turned, gazing at his daughter sympathetically and sighed. The vizier Jafar threw two of them a pointed look, his strange cobra staff still in his hand. Jasmine expected him to say something to Jafar in her support, but her father seemed to be enchanted by the vizier.

"But…Baba…" Jasmine tried to interrupt, but she was cut off in the mid-sentence by her father's stern voice.

"It is not for you to decide, Jasmine." He finally pushed his chair back, and waved at the council, dismissing them. "It has been discussed and decided. We agree with the trade treaty with Skånland."

Slowly a victorious grin began to appear in Jafar's lips, but Jasmine found the grin extremely creepy. Beside him, Prince Anders was shaking hands with the Sultan, which she found equally offensive. Jasmine just chocked on the sob that was about to erupt from her lips. Her eyes met Dalia; the handmaid only gave her a sympathetic nod.

She had nothing to do except watching these men to decide her fate.

Her kingdom's fate.

.

.

.

"There must be something I can do…"

Ignoring the desperation in the princess' voice, Dalia continued to unlace the back of Jasmine's gown. She was struggling with a particularly hard knot, and let out a squeak as she pinched her finger.

"I don't know why you are so desperate," Dalia shrugged, "You just to need to wake up one day as a princess, and die."

Looking up from the map she had been studying, she threw the handmaid a pointed glare. Ever since returning her chamber she had been angry, so angry that she wanted to throw things. Instead, she just let out a sigh.

"Can you imagine, the idiot prince just made Baba agree in trading slaves?" She let out an angry sigh, "And Jafar supported that prince. If I were the Sultan, I would get rid of that man in the first place. "

Dalia knew nothing could calm her mistress's foul mood, so she simply handed her down a glass of cold water. "You can just marry the prince." She shrugged, "And get away from all the fuss. But you are not doing that, are you?"

For a moment Jasmine realized she wasn't sure what she was actually able to do. Maybe someday she would really agree to marry some stupid prince just to uphold her father's honor. She gulped down the water and dismissed Dalia for the night. She needed some time alone. Rajah scooted close to her, and she ran her fingers through his soft fur. The tiger purred and rubbed his head against her leg. Sometimes only her tiger's presence could calm her mood a bit.

Her gaze traveled to the patch of the open sky that was visible from her balcony. Lightning streaked and forked above, followed by the ominous boom of thunder, and Jasmine wondered if she was going to see the thief from the market tonight.

SMASH….

The crushing sound made her turn and when she turned, she found her favorite Persian vase lying on the floor, broken into thousands of pieces, and the said thief was brushing the broken pieces from his shirt.

"You…" she said, her breath coming out in a whoosh. Her heart was still pounding, but the initial fear was fading, replaced with curiosity. "How could you…" But she was cut off as the thief moaned a little. She found herself instantly rushing to his side, grabbing his arms, checking for any sign of injury.

"Are you alright?" She asked, still scanning him for injury.

"I am alright." Aladdin grinned, and pulled himself from the floor, trying to act cool, but again let out a small gasp as he put his full weight onto his right ankle. It almost made Jasmine shout at him, but her anger evaporated when she found him still grinning at her.

"How did you come inside?"

"Through the vines over there." He grinned, nodding towards the Ivy vines creeping along the length of the balcony. His head was already reeling with the expensive perfume she wore, and the softness of her bright yellow fabric was too much to be real.

"You are impossible." Jasmine slapped his shoulder playfully. Her mother's bracelet glittered in her right wrist. For the first time, Aladdin realized that the bracelet was made of pure gold. She gently led him towards a settee in the balcony and motioned him to sit. His jaw almost hit the floor when he felt the softness of the expensive cushions and shifted uncomfortably. His gaze slid to his own dirty clothes. The velvet covers seemed too clean for him to sit down. Goosebumps rose in his arms wherever her fingers met his skin. Her touch was lighter than a bird's feather.

And one thought crossed his mind.

He didn't belong here.

Jasmine noticed the uncomfortable expression in his face, and her concern grew. It was not like him. Not the charming, playful thief she met in the market. She sat beside him and placed one hand on the top of his. He flinched in her touch. Jasmine startled with his unusual reaction and placed one hand on the side of his face, forcing him to look at her. "What is it?"

Aladdin looked away, "We must stop meeting, Dalia."

"What?" Jasmine was more than surprised. "Why makes you think like that?" Something was wrong with him, and Jasmine was determined to find it out.

Aladdin let out an exasperated sigh. He stood up, leaving the comfort of the expensive settee and looked at Jasmine, shaking his head violently.

"You don't understand, Dalia." There was a strange frustration in his voice as he began to pace along the length of the balcony, "You are a handmaid of the princess. And I am a street thief. What do I have to offer to you?"

He turned and searched Dalia's face for an answer, but there was something in her face that he couldn't fathom. It was that look she gave when she was angry or anxious or perplexed. He remembered that look she gave him when she accused him of stealing her bracelet.

"Dalia! I can explain," he breathed. But then she landed a sturdy fist in his ribs. He didn't expect that he would double over and his knees would buckle at the force but he did just that, with the unintelligible gagging sound coming from his throat.

"Thief!" She whispered, her eyes ablaze.

"What's that for?" Aladdin gasped as he managed to get back on his feet again. "I am just talking about our situation…."

"Ah, you…" Jasmine was still shaking with the sudden anger that washed over her. "You son of a…Ah, forget that." Then she raised her eyes and after a long time, they met the deep chocolate pools before her. "You have no idea what you have done." her voice softened and her right hand unknowingly found its way to his chest, over his heart. His heart jumped under her palm, and for a moment Aladdin thought he had forgotten to breathe.

The cool air was playing with the sheer curtains, so with their bodies. The coldness of the air sent chills through their spines. He shivered, and the girl too. She moved closer to him, sending the toasty warmth through his skin. Aladdin felt his brain shutting down. "But I just want to….."

"Hush!" She withdrew her hand from his chest and stared into his eyes. Aladdin's heart ached for her touch. "Tomorrow, I will wait for you."

"Why?"

"Because you have to return this." She whispered. To his surprise, she took the shining emerald necklace from her neck and slipped it into his pocket.

He was sure that he was in a dream. He couldn't think anything straight anymore. How could it be even possible? He was so much ashamed of his current state. But she was just ready to accept for he was. Was she even real? His heart swelled with affection for her, something he had never experienced before. All he could think of the enchanting woman standing before him. Forgetting all of his doubts, he cupped her chin as if he was in a trance and tipped her chin to meet his gaze. "I promise."

Jasmine shivered. His face was only an inch away from her; his dark eyes were locked into hers. She knew she couldn't escape from her feelings, like the way she couldn't ignore the truth. There were differences. She read the sorrows in his eyes and he was doing the same.

Suddenly she didn't care anymore.

She tilted her head upwards; his warm breath grazed her skin. Her eyes closed in anticipation.

Before he could even understand what was happening, he felt himself leaning towards her. Her sweet breath stirred a stray hair from his face. All he wanted to touch her lips with his.

Suddenly, his ears picked up a faint sound at a distance. At first, he decided to ignore it. But no, the sound was growing stronger and stronger. Someone was knocking at the door.

"Dalia.." He suddenly shoved her aside, eyes wide with alarm.

"What?" Jasmine's eyes snapped open. Her eye widened too when she saw the alarm in his eyes.

"The guards…"

"I have to go." Aladdin took her hand and pressed his lips on the back of it. Jasmine shivered and bit her lips to stop herself from crumbling onto the floor.

"Princess…Princess…" It was Hakim's voice on the other side of the door. "A thief has just broken into the palace."

"Coming…" Jasmine answered, and caught his arm with one of hers, "Come with me."

"Yes.." Aladdin nodded, as he continued to follow the handmaid through the maze, which was the princess' bedroom. Jasmine guided him to the vines along the pillars, as she continued keeping an eye on the door. And knock on the door was getting stronger and stronger.

Finally, they stopped near a small window in the back of the princess' room. "You better take the path through the garden."

"Good night, Dalia." He grinned and climbed over the windowsill.

"Good night." His lips were only an inch away from her as the Aladdin slipped through the vines. Unknowingly a sigh escaped her lips.

The door behind her busted open.

Jasmine whirled around to find Hakim, the captain of the guards, along with five others crashing inside, eyes darting into each corner of the room. When the head guard found the princess standing in the middle of the room, he stopped and bowed.

"Are you alright, princess?"

No, she wasn't. Her heart was beating wildly as if she had just run a mile. She swallowed, and stood up straight, trying to keep her face as normal as possible. "Hakim, what's the fuss?"

Before the head guard could answer, the tall, dark figure of the royal vizier appeared from behind, his strange cobra staff still in his hand, his creepy parrot over his shoulder.

"Princess, I believe a thief just broke into this room." He bowed, without looking away from her. His eyes were so piercing that Jasmine wondered if he could see through her. "Thief." The parrot mimicked over his shoulder.

"No..." She shook her head violently, "I was in the room all the time. I have not seen any thief." Her heart continued to thump violently in her chest. She silently uttered a prayer for Aladdin to make out of the palace in the meantime.

Jafar raised one eyebrow. Jasmine was sure he did not entirely trust her. Behind her, the guards were tearing through every nook and corner.

"Alright." After a long minute, Jafar finally broke the silence, nodding towards the Hakim. "I guess there is no thief here. Hakim, let's go."

Jasmine carefully let out a breath she didn't know she was holding back. "Well, goodnight then!" She yawned. An odd sense of relief washed over her.

"Yes, princess." Jafar was heading back to the door, then he stopped on his track. Jasmine stiffened.

Behind her, a guard yelled, "Sir, I can see the thief. He is in the garden."

Suddenly Jasmine felt there was not enough air in the room.

"Shoot him," Jafar ordered without looking back.

**What do you think? Let me know in the comments. Faves and follows will be awesome too. I am eagerly waiting for your responses, also ideas if you can give me. I am open to ideas too. **

**The holidays are almost over. So the next update will take time. Keep your responses coming so that I remain inspired. **

**Next chapter- Jasmine faces dilemmas. **


	4. Sunrise

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 3- Sunrise**

Aladdin didn't know how long he was running.

He had climbed the palace wall and headed for the alley between the palace and the slums nearby. Lightning forked and thundered overhead, slowly one or two drops of rains landed softly over the thirsty sands. Cold desert wind blew, and Aladdin shivered. There was a strange pain in his side, his head spinning with every step he took. Cautiously, he placed one hand over his aching side, and his fingers met an arrow shaft protruding from his flesh. He tried to pull on the shaft, and with a sickening crack, the shaft broke between his fingers.

His vision was wavering, it was getting very hard to breathe with every step he took. Aladdin gulped for air for a few seconds, leaning against the nearest wall, trying to steady himself, his hand leaving bloody handprints everywhere.

Fat raindrops continued landing one by one over his face, over his eyelashes, making his blurry vision more and more blurry. Someone was calling his name.

"Aladdin."

A familiar face. He narrowed his eyes to have a better look. A familiar flurry of a green skirt and yellow veil rushed near him and caught his arm before he tumbled forward. Abu chattered over her shoulder and jumped over Aladdin's. His hands were desperately clinging around his master's neck for support.

"Morgiana." Aladdin sucked in a deep breath, happy to lean over her shoulder.

His whole body was aching. The sand beneath his feet was already stained crimson with his own blood. He just wanted to lie down anywhere.

"Morgiana, you don't need to…" he sucked in a breath, his voice was fading. He didn't want to burden anyone with his misery.

"Hush…" Morgiana placed one of her fingers over his lips, her big eyes full of tears, "You are hurt. Let's go home."

Aladdin nodded weakly. He had no control over his body anymore. The world around him was already fading.

In the darkness, all he could remember the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

Dalia.

.

.

.

Dalia stood, arms crossed, watching the princess tearing through the gardens. Two guards were trailing behind her, searching for the thief who just broke into the palace. She could also hear the princess's disappointed voice as she tried to explain the situation.

"I told you there is no thief." She declared. "Maybe you have heard Rajah's roar." The guards nodded in unison, eager to leave this ordeal. One of them was already yawning. Only the royal vizier seemed to remain unconvinced.

"Tigers don't speak, princess." Jafar was gripping his cobra staff tightly. Jasmine took an exasperated breath, clearly frustrated with the royal vizier.

"Do you doubt me, Vizier Jafar?" Her unedifying glare locked with the Vizier. Unknowingly her grip tightened around one of the rose bushes, and she let out a squeak as she pricked her fingers.

Dalia saw blood appearing in the princess's hand, and decided to step in finally. "Princess," She rushed beside her. Jasmine was already cradling her injured hand with another.

"You are bleeding." She quickly tore a piece of her dress and wrapped around Jasmine's bleeding fingers, and tugged on her arm, ignoring the royal vizier's glare. "You need some medical attention now."

Jasmine didn't move. The vizier kept staring.

"Princess," Dalia tugged Jasmine's arm again. "You need to see the healer."

"Yes," Jasmine finally spoke, as if waking up from a trance. Her gaze dropped on her bleeding fingers and she quickly bit her fingers with her lips, as if trying to lessen the pain. The binding around her fingers was soaked with blood.

The vizier blinked finally, and let out a sigh. Dalia wondered if he sounded a bit disappointed. His gaze dropped on the princess's bleeding fingers. "I am sending the royal healer, princess." He bowed and turned to leave.

Dalia let out a sigh of relief as she followed behind Jasmine. She was in pain. Not in physical pain, but there was a pain in her heart. Two of them grew up together. Sometimes she wondered if she knew the princess more than herself. Still, she wondered what was bothering the princess so much. She wrapped her one arm around Jasmine's arm gently and forced her to face her.

"What is it, princess?"

Her words made Jasmine stop in her tracks, and look at her. "I saw a bloody handprint over the wall," Jasmine said softly, her big brown eyes were already brimming with tears. "He is injured, Dalia."

Dalia gripped her hand and patted it softly. There was a strange look of agony in her eyes that she had never seen before. It made her heart ache. She knew how much Jasmine cared for the thief. There was a strange connection between the two of them, although she didn't understand much. But she felt there was something strong that linked the street thief and the princess together. "I am sorry, princess." Her voice was soft.

"Help me sneak out, Dalia. I need to see him." Her words bounced around the stair and Jasmine could hear the desperation in her own voice.

Dalia shook her head. "If you get caught, I'll be thrown in the dungeon."

"You know I'd never let anything happen to you," Jasmine said.

"The dungeon," Dalia repeated. "That is the thing that would be happening to me."

It was time to change tactics. Walking over to her, Jasmine took her handmaiden's hands in her own and gave her the most pathetic expression it seemed she could muster. Dalia sighed. She could never deny her. Jasmine just needed to pull on the right heartstring.

"Just one more time." Jasmine pleaded. The thought of Aladdin lying on the roads, bleeding already added more pain to her aching heart, and her handmaid's denial made her eyes water, "Please, Dalia?"

Dalia sighed. Then slowly, she began to nod. "I hate that I'm weak and can be talked into anything and can't say no," she said, trying not to smile, "But you are in love with that boy, aren't you?"

Slowly blood began to creep to the princess's cheeks, spreading to her neck. But she said nothing. She only threw her arms around her best friend, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you." She whispered in her ears.

"I wish I didn't love you," Dalia hugged her back.

.

.

.

Jasmine tugged the white stripped veil closer to her face. In her arms, she was cradling the vial of concoction in her that Dalia was able to manage for her from the royal healer for her bleeding hand. But she didn't need the medicine actually. It was only a minor prick.

Jasmine had never navigated through the roads of Agrabah in the dark before. She stood outside the palace wall, trying to remember the maze which was the alleys of Agrabah. She had been through this maze only once, and that day Aladdin was with her.

Aladdin…. Her heart ached with the thought of him. It was her fault. If she hadn't insisted on him, he wouldn't get into this trouble. She took a deep breath and stepped forward. She needed to find him. She must.

The roads were different in the dark than in the light. The bazaar was strangely silent. It had just stopped raining a while ago. The roads were still muddy. The sky above had already cleared, revealing the moon shining again overhead. One...two... three... she continued to count her steps. She had resorted to this tactic every time she broke out from the palace. Five hundred one...five hundred sixty-five... in the faint moonlight, she recognized a familiar archway.

The hiding…

She ran through the deserted roads until she reached near a broken mosque at the end of the road. Every brick seemed so familiar. How could she forget the place where she met the most extraordinary man she had ever seen. She tugged on a rope and a hidden ladder appeared. She quickly grabbed the ladder and climbed upwards. Five hundred seventy...five hundred seventy-three... one more step upwards.

Then she saw him.

There was blood everywhere. Over the floor, over the walls. In the middle Aladdin was laying, sprawled over a dirty mattress, face pale, eyes closed. Her eyes searched his face desperately for any sign of life.

"Aladdin." She was about to run beside him, but her path was already blocked by a strange unfamiliar girl.

"Wait…" She said, her eyes scanning her from head to toe, until her eyes rested on the shining bracelet in her right wrist, "You are the girl from the palace, aren't you?"

There were anger and desperation in her voice. Jasmine didn't know who she was or what she was doing here. All she wanted to shove her aside and run near him, but there was something in the girl's eyes that made her stop. A strange sorrow. Jasmine gasped. It was like looking into a mirror.

"Yes." Jasmine nodded. The girl's eyes narrowed. She didn't trust her, Jasmine realized. There was no reason to trust her either. She had been lying to everyone since the day she set her foot here for the first time. Two women locked gazes, Jasmine waited. A second later she moved away from her way and dropped beside the man lying on the floor.

"He is shot." She said softly, there was strange softness in her eyes as she looked at Aladdin's sleeping face.

Protectiveness, Jasmine realized.

"I don't know what to do." The girl nodded, and Jasmine couldn't but feel a pang of jealousy the way she was holding one of Aladdin's hands. She shook her head, trying to brush the thought aside. She slowly walked beside the girl, and looked at Aladdin's pale face, the way his body shuddered with every labored breath he took.

There was no time to feel jealous.

She tore her gaze from his face and looked at the other girl, "I have some medicine. If you help me, I can help him."

The girl startled and looked at her. There was still doubt in her eyes but she nodded anyway. She moved aside, letting Jasmine take her place beside Aladdin. "By the way, I am Morgiana." The girl said, giving her a sad smile.

"I am Dalia." Jasmine returned her smile.

.

.

.

Jasmine only hoped whatever she was doing, was doing right.

She gently unfastened the buttons of his red vest, unbuttoned his shirt and eased them off him. He was so much caked with blood that she couldn't even make out the original color of his shirt. And when she was done, she could actually see his injuries now. There was an angry wound in his right with the arrowhead still buried inside. She bit her lips to this unsightly appearance of the once handsome thief. He was so pale, panting, and even though it was only the cooling off, he was shivering. Morgiana handed her a knife and she sucked in a hesitant breath. She had never done this before.

"Are you sure?" Morgiana was doubtful too.

"Yes," Jasmine tried to sound confident, wanted to be confident. Of course, she had read some books on medicine. But she was not sure if she was able to do it. Her hand was shaking violently as she let the knife cut through his skin, while he was wincing with her every move.

Jasmine almost bit down her lips into half, when she was able to drive to the knife into the wound, carefully dislodging the arrowhead. She let out a sigh that she didn't know she was holding back. She took it in her palm and threw it outside. Her gaze met Morgiana's who looked relived as much as she was . She gave her a smile that she didn't know if she really deserved. Together they finished wrapping the wound with a fresh cloth, and Jasmine was surprised to see a strange tenderness in Morgiana's eyes. She had no idea who she was, or what her relationship was with Aladdin, but somehow she knew both of them were on the same page now.

Only she didn't belong here.

That night, Aladdin was right. They would never belong together. Her presence in Aladdin's life would only bring danger. He had had enough troubles in his life already, and she could let him dive into more troubles. She needed to leave. She had to.

"I need to go." She told Morgiana who was carefully arranging pillows under Aladdin's head. She blinked when Jasmine rose to leave. Slowly and very slowly Jasmine walked near the broken stairs, her brain was still screaming, telling her to stay. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the thought, and kept walking. She needed to leave. She needed to forget. She needed to disappear from his life. She needed him to stay safe.

There was a tug in her hand. She turned and surprised to find Morgiana standing behind her.

"Al needs you, Dalia." There was a sad smile on her lips.

"What?" Jasmine was surprised. Was she so transparent that even this girl could see through her?

"But.." She hesitated. But Morgiana had already had taken her arm, and almost dragged her near the mattress where Aladdin lay. She pushed her down on the floor.

"Stay."

Then she left, leaving two of them alone.

In the faint silver light of the dying moon, Jasmine noticed a few drops of sweat on Aladdin's lips. She placed a trembling hand on his forehead, and her hand almost burned from the heat emitting from his skin. He was burning up. Cold desert wind blew, and he unconsciously scooted closer to her, searching for warmth. One elbow managed to clip her stomach and Jasmine fell beside him over the mattress. His other arm encircled her waist.

The cold air was pricking her skin, sending goosebumps wherever it touched. Jasmine sighed and tried not to jostle him too badly as she sat up. Not that it seemed possible to even move at this point, what with the death grip his arm had around her waist.

Her heart kept running wildly in her chest. She had never been cuddled by a man before. His heat was scorching her skin wherever his skin contacted with hers.

She needed to run the fever down.

She searched for a bowl, which helpfully Abu grabbed for her, and dabbed a piece of cloth in the cold water. She smoothed the hair around his face. It was so soft and thick, Jasmine wondered. Carefully she placed the wet cloth over his burning forehead. His breathing began to even out. He had a hint of stubble growing around his jaw. Jasmine poked it once, tracing the smooth skin around his cheeks, marveling at his ethereal beauty. He was too beautiful to be real.

Why was she here? There was so much difference between them. She was well aware this relationship was not going anywhere. Her presence would only bring danger in his life. But there was a strange emptiness threatened to engulf whenever she wanted to imagine his absence in her life. It was like a strange string that kept pulling two of them together.

He shuddered slightly as she brushed her thumb over his lips. Jasmine blushed and withdrew her hand. But his hands clutched at the fabric of her blouse in the back, fingers almost digging into her sides. She resisted the urge to wriggle away from the heat of his body. She doubted he'd let her, first of all.

Second of all, another strange feeling was trying to overcome her consciousness.

What was this feeling called? Love? She was not sure.

She looked down at him, head pillowed in her lap, cheeks pressing against her thighs. He was still out. His warmth was scalding her skin under her harem pants.

It was almost ridiculous. She had never touched a man in this way. The way he curled up around her, he looked so young, so vulnerable, almost like a child. He startled at the cool touch of her hands on his neck, eyes snapping open, wild with fear.

"Who?" He winced, blinking in confusion.

"Hush… It's me. Jas...Dalia." Jasmine gently pressed her hand over his eyes, closing them. There was a strange ache in her heart; she didn't know what it was.

"Dalia." Aladdin repeated. His eyes were already closing under her touch, his voice sounding distant. There was a smile on his face, almost peaceful.

**Reviews? Favs? Follows?**

**Next chapter- Jafar finds out something.**

**Hope they are not much OOC.**

**I am going on a break for the next two weeks, so my readers stay patient. Besides we are having a good number of reviews and faves so far. Can I hope to reach 50 reviews and favs before the next chapter comes?**

**Errors are all mine. English isn't my 1****st**** language, consider them nicely.**


	5. Promises of tomorrow

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 5- Promise of Tomorrow**

There were two more guards in the garden today. Jasmine turned away from the balcony and sighed.

The number of the guards was increasing outside her door since the break-in last night, even the plants in the garden had been trimmed short so that no one could climb into her room anymore. She was sure that it was Jafar's idea. He seemed to know every word passed behind every closed door of the palace. She wondered how he found Aladdin's presence in her chamber last night. It was felt like she was being watched. She was tired of being watched all of her life. She could not take this anymore.

She let Dalia wrap a golden mantle around her shoulder and headed towards the sultan's inner chamber. It was the only place Jasmine knew she could find her father alone.

Most of the time he was surrounded either by his viziers or guards or the dignitaries from foreign lands especially the grand vizier Jafar. Since her mother's death, Jasmine could hardly remember speaking with her father alone, except for a few occasions when they visited the queen's grave together. And every day she felt they were growing apart- her being immersed more and more in her studies and secret adventures and him being more and more spending time with the council. None of them seemed to know what was happening in each other's life.

She trailed her hand alone the ornate walls along the corridor. She had seen these walls like this since she was a baby in her mother's arms, and even today nothing changed. Only her world seemed to become more and more limited with each passing day. Every day she was feeling like a prisoner.

Several voices raised in debate in the Sultan's inner sanctum. Jasmine stopped, her ears picked up Jafar's voice clearly among others. "Our enemies grow stronger every day. Last night ago a thief broke into the palace. I am sure he is a spy from some enemy kingdom," Jafar said, his cold voice out of place in the warm room. "We need to forge a military alliance with Skånland by the princess' marriage with Prince Anders. Give the prince another chance to meet her in the harvest festival…"

Jasmine frowned. Now Jafar was complaining about her. He seemed to live to keep her grounded, to show her place as a woman in the world.

"Which enemy?" the Sultan interrupted. He was not in the mood to hear Jafar criticize his daughter yet again.

Jafar's fingers tightened around the staff in his hand. "Shirabad continues to poke their nose into our politics. I am sure the thief is working from them. "

"Shirabad is our ally," the Sultan corrected. This was a conversation he and his vizier had had already—many, many times. He was tired of all of these. Yet for some reason, he seemed to always end up agreeing with the man in the end…. "You would drag us into a war with our oldest-"

"Spy from Shirabad?" Jasmine couldn't believe Jafar blaming her mother's kingdom just because he suspected a random person as their spy. She walked inside and spoke, voice echoing off the walls of her father's study, her eyes catching the anger in her father's face. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Jafar's fingers tightening around his cobra staff, but she ignored him and strode beside her father, and took his hand. "Why would they try to spy on us?" she asked, turning her gaze towards the vizier. "If not for Shirabad, we'd have no access to inland trade. And are you sure there was a thief really broke into the palace?"

The sultan smiled meeting his daughter's eyes. For a moment Jasmine thought she had seen the pride in her father's eyes, for supporting him against his council. He tore his gaze from his daughter, and nodded, "No, Jafar. Hakim confirmed to me there was no thief in the princess' room that night. You need to turn your attention away from the princess and concentrate on something productive."

Jafar's cheeks reddened. For a moment Jasmine wondered he could burn her into ashes if he had power. His lower lip trembled, yet his voice was cold as he spoke, "I can, my Sultan. And you can allow your daughter to run free for the mere sentiment."

And finally, the sultan lost his patience.

"Jafar." He bellowed. Anger flashed in the Sultan's eyes. Jasmine gasped. She had never expected the vizier gaining so much power to speak to her father like that. She kept her hand on his shoulder and felt a muscle twitching under her touch.

"Remember your place."

"Baba." Jasmine kept holding her father's shoulder firmly, feeling him still shaking under her touch. Waves of anger were rising inside her too. She could feel her cheeks burning. "Calm down." She whispered, kneeling beside the old ruler, trying to calm down his anger. She again turned her fiery gaze towards the vizier, "How dare you to speak to your sultan like that?"

"My Sultan." Jafar seemed to ignore her completely and stepped between father and daughter. He moved his staff; Jasmine could feel a strange heat radiating from the golden cobra head.

"An ally in Skånland could improve our situation," he said to the Sultan.

Jasmine watched her father nodding with the vizier's movement, as if unable to control himself anymore. Slowly he turned his head to her, gaze unfocused. "Yes," he said. "If you would give Prince Anders a chance, we can forge a military alliance with his land."

"Baba." Jasmine was surprised by the sudden change in her father's decision. "Why?" She couldn't believe he was actually considering Jafar's decision. Every time he seemed frustrated with his vizier, but he needed up agreeing with him at the end.

The Sultan did not seem too interested to answer her question. His expression grew serious, as did his tone as he spoke. "I'm not getting any younger, my dear. We must find you a husband, and Prince Anders is a fine choice…"

"What foreign prince could care for our people as I do? The first thing he does to sign a slave trade treaty since his arrival. Our kingdom is drowning into poverty. Can we find a better solution? Can't I lead—"

"You cannot be sultan," her father said, cutting her off. "It never happened in history."

"But…." Jasmine stood up from her father's side, hands clenched in frustration. "What does that Prince Anders know our people? I have read…" She wanted to scream. Even the head guard Hakim nodded sympathetically behind her.

Jafar's slick voice cut in. "Books!" he said, this time the one to laugh at the idea. "But you cannot _read_ experience, Princess."

"Better a leader who cares for her people than—"

Jafar stopped her. "Actually, it isn't," he said, shaking his head. His dark eyes grew darker and his voice dripped with arrogance. "Ignorance is dangerous. People left unchecked will revolt. Walls and borders unguarded will be attacked. A thief had already broken into the palace inside your garden. You are not safe to rule."

_But there was no thief_… Jasmine wanted to say…. _He is more than you see….._

"I'm afraid Jafar is right, my dear," the Sultan said. "The world is a dangerous place. I must appoint more guards outside your door. "

Nodding, Jafar didn't bother to hide his smile of pleasure at hearing the Sultan's agreement. Emboldened, the vizier stepped forward and put a hand on Jasmine's shoulder. She tried not to visibly shudder at his touch, but her stomach roiled. "We each have an important role to play, Princess. Why not focus on what you do so well and leave these more serious matters to us?"

Jasmine's mouth dropped open and her hands clenched at her sides. Before she could even respond, her father walked near her and took her hand, "I have invited Prince Anders to join the harvest festival next week. I wish you will be there, daughter."

Jasmine could never deny her father's wish. Since her mother's death, she was the only person he seemed to keep all of his expectations. She could never win this argument if he requested her like this. She patted his hand and sighed, "I will, Baba."

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Aladdin stood in a small alley next to the entrance of the market. The sky above was purpled by dusk, and the mixture of spices, sweat, and livestock filled the autumn air with the heady perfume of life, in all its abundance. The kingdom was getting ready for the yearly harvest festival. Ships from far and abroad reached the port at this particular time of the year. The bazaar was full of people, buying and selling goods from all over the world. Business seemed to at its peak. And it was a golden opportunity for a street thief. There was a stall selling exclusive fabric imported from Egypt. A rich looking woman was toying with a bright aquamarine dress from the pile, examining the color contrast against her chocolate skin.

_No, it doesn't suit her,_ Aladdin thought instantly, _this color could be perfect contrast against Dalia's bright brown skin. _

_Dalia_….Aladdin felt his cheeks reddening at the thought of the name. He hadn't been able to visit the palace since he was shot. His hand felt the necklace in his pocket, resting comfortably there. He remembered faintly sleeping beside her, with his head in her lap, but it seemed like a dream. He might have drifted into slumber again because when he opened his eyes, she was gone. But his whole being was screaming again for her touch, lay his head in her lap, feel her touch against his burning skin.

Shaking his head, Aladdin began to move through the market. Now was not the time to get lost in daydreams. He had more pressing and real issues—like finding lunch. As his growling stomach was now reminding him, it had been a day since he had eaten anything. His injury prevented him from roaming around the street for the last few days. Morgiana tried her best to keep him supplied with foods, but he also knew, like him, she had to starve if she needed to keep him well fed.

He pressed his hand over his aching side and continued moving through the streets. His fever was coming back, and injury had slowed him down a bit. He eyed the spiced buns from Saja's stall but discarded the idea. The woman had the keenest eyes in the Agrabah. He was no mood in running from the guards today. Heading in the opposite direction, he continued planning his day.

On his shoulder, his best friend Abu chattered away. Nodding absently in reply as the monkey let out a particularly shrill set of screeches, Aladdin nearly bumped into a woman. Startled, he took a step back. But then a large smile spread across his face as he took in the beautiful familiar face.

"Dalia," He grinned.

Dalia pulled her dark grey cloak tight about her. She threw a concerned gazed at the man in front of her, grabbed his arm, and pulled him aside.

"What are you doing out here?" She scolded, pressing him against a wall and looked at his face for a while. Aladdin raised his hand and wiped away the drops of sweat from his face. Certainly, his looks didn't improve from a day of starvation and illness. He shuddered when her soft hand brushed against his fevered forehead.

"Is it your job to follow me everywhere?" He tried to wave her concern away with a crooked grin on his face.

Jasmine's cheeks flushed. But she noticed the way he was slurring his speech, she even thought that there was a slight flirtatious tone in his voice, but then she decided to blame the blood loss.

"You must not leave your bed." Jasmine wanted to smack his head for leaving his bed so early. It was a great deal escaping the palace after the incident of the fateful night. But she could not stop worrying about this impossible person. She had a strange feeling of being watched, still, she couldn't stop herself from finding the injured thief.

"Let's go back to your home." She said swallowing the temptation "You need rest."

"I am alright." He tried to use his best convincing tone, and waved towards the vendor haggling with price with their customers, "Besides there was no way to find food in my hovel."

"Oh!" Jasmine suddenly realized what made an ill man leave his bed. She lifted her gaze to look at the man beside her, his tired sweaty face. He might have been starving for days. Her heart overflowed with affection for him. At the palace she never imagined leaving her bed even she caught a minor cold. What a life her people were leading when she had all the luxuries of the world. It was not fair.

"Let me buy you some food." She tugged his arm.

"Where did you get the money?" Aladdin was surprised.

"A kind of borrowed." She winked, "Besides today I really don't want to run away from the guards."

The memories of their first meeting bought a smile across Aladdin's lips. He grinned and pulled her closer. "Stay close. There are many to snatch the money from you."

"I have my eyes on you, thief," Jasmine rolled her eyes.

With that, two of them left the safety of the shadows and darted out into the bustling crowds of Agrabah's most active outdoor market. They had their arms full of food within half an hour. Jasmine knew Aladdin was eyeing her with awe. He himself hadn't seen so much food in his life. Possibly no one to care for him ever. She took his hand and gently pressed it. "It's alright. Let's go home." She whispered. Aladdin nodded.

Aladdin was nearly leaning on her shoulder when two of them finally reached the hovel. Jasmine shifted his weight over her one shoulder and carried the basket of bread in another. When they reached near the dirty mattress over the floor, he pulled his arm away and waited docilely while the princess swept the covers back; then he laid down and looked at her with a foolish grin while she arranged bread on a plate for him. There was strange domesticity in the picture. He didn't know why, but somehow it felt so natural to see Dalia moving around his little home.

Maybe someday... an unconscious smile tugged at his lips...their home.

"Here," He snapped back to the reality as Dalia placed a plate full of bread in front of him. "Thank you." He smiled and took a bite, but it tasted like cotton in his fevered mouth. He swallowed a portion and lied down. Jasmine looked back at him, with no attempt to hide her anxiety. She calmly poured cold water into a bowl and dabbed a cloth in the water. She placed the wet cloth over his burning forehead. Aladdin closed his eyes. It felt so unreal to be cared like this. No one, except his mother, cared for him like this. He opened his eyes again to find a pair of beautiful brown eyes watching him with concern. Even her voice trembled a bit when she said, "Care to tell me how you are feeling now?"

He was feeling tired. And grateful. He looked at the gorgeous woman beside him. He really didn't deserve her.

"In heaven," He said without looking away, "And you are one of the _hoors_ in heaven."

Jasmine had dealt with enough of his flirtation today. Now she was clearly annoyed. "Here we have bread for almost a week. Promise me, you will not be running in the road until you are healed." Her voice was almost commanding.

Aladdin's eyes were burning. Her tone strangely reminded him of his mother. She used to scold him whenever he did something naughty.

"Promise." He said as his fascinated gaze moved over her. Her shining hair tumbled over her shoulders in a gloriously untidy mass of a dark river, framing a face of heartbreaking beauty. Her skin was as smooth as polished mahogany, her brows delicately arched, and her lashes thick and curly. Her eyes were like a pair of dark deep pools as they worriedly searched his face, trying to assess his condition. Her mouth was vulnerable and soft—as soft as the breasts that swelled at his eye level above the bodice of her lace-edged cream blouse, practically begging for his touch. But it was her mouth Aladdin wanted to taste first. He tightened his hand on her upper arm, drawing her closer. He reached for her, slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her close.

"Aladdin..." Jasmine gasped as she fell over his chest.

"Hush..." Aladdin silenced her, his hands removing a stray hair from her face.

The urge was irresistible, Jasmine tilted her head, to meet his warm brown, sensual eyes and her heart began to beat fanatically in her chest. His warm breath brushed her temple, trickling the skin there. Unknowingly, her arms found their way around his neck, meeting the sensitive place of his nape. The magic was more when his lips were only an inch away from hers, and then suddenly a shadow of a bird flying outside the widow engulfed two of them. Jasmine startled and looked outside. Her keen eyes caught a shadow moving below.

Someone like a royal guard.

Her suspicions were right.

THEY WERE BEING WATCHED!

She didn't know who it was, but she knew her presence would bring more danger to Aladdin. She moved her head away a secant before his lips reached her.

"I have to go." Her voice laced with sorrow.

"Dalia," She was about to rise, but his hand caught her arm. "Stay." There was a strange plea in his voice.

Jasmine's heart was breaking. They were close….so close….still...

"Not today." She sat beside him and moved a piece of stray hair from his face. "I need to help the princess for the harvest festival."

"I'll meet you at the harvest festival." Aladdin grinned and pressed a kiss on the back of her hand.

"No." Jasmine quickly pressed her hand over his mouth. "Don't even dare to do that. The palace is heavily guarded. You will be in danger."

"Really?" A mischevious smile laced Aladdin's lips as he fixed his gaze on the princess's frustrated face, "You don't know me yet, Dalia."

Jasmine shook her head in frustration. She really didn't know what to do with this man. She couldn't get over him either. And it frustrated her even more.

Her frustration made him laugh. And his laughter made the tension lighter. She forgot the danger waiting for her outside, instead, a warm fuzzy sensation filled her beings. With him, she felt different, free.

She did not know why. She needed to find it.

**Tell me what do you think? It's a horrible chapter, written in a bit hurry. After 2 weeks of break, I am a bit rusty. **

**Reviews, faves, follows will be awesome. **

**Next chapter- The harvest festival**


	6. A whole new world

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 6- A Whole New World**

Aladdin stood hidden among a group of street entertainers, looking at the palace before him, which had been turned into a wondrous flower garden for the harvest festival, with giant pots of airy ferns and huge baskets of crimson roses. In front of him, merchants, servants, and various dignitaries made their way through one of the palace's main gates. Aladdin's eyes narrowed as he took in the heavily armed guards at the gate. The security had been doubled since the night he had almost got caught; even the vines creeping along the pillars had been trimmed, turning it a sort of fortress. There was no way to sneak in so easily.

But he had a plan. He always had.

"You know what to do, Abu," He said, motioning to his furry friend to stay.

The monkey nodded. He had been quite agreeable since his almost arrest. Feeling eyes on him, the tiny monkey looked up, noticing a brightly colored parrot circling above them. He shot the bird a look and chattered angrily. He hated parrots. Then the monkey scampered over and raced up the leg of one of the guards. As the guard began to shout and swing his arms, Aladdin reached out and grabbed an abandoned cloak off a nearby stall. Flipping the hood over his head, he joined a line of travelers wearing similar garb.

Keeping his head down, Aladdin walked past the guards—and right into the palace, inside the main hall, into the royal dance room.

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.

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Jasmine stood in a corner looking at the long line of people greeting the sultan one by one, gratefully presenting their gifts to their ruler. She loved to see her father interacting with their subjects, which was a rare occasion and watched his smile as he spoke with them. She saw admiration in their eyes as the bowed. Someday she hoped to be a ruler like him.

But it seemed like a distant dream.

Beside the sultan, the grand vizier Jafar stood, his cobra staff tightly clutched in his right hand. He was murmuring something in the sultan's ear. His parrot was suspiciously absent over his shoulder. Her eyes met his, but the vizier looked away. They were not exactly in good terms since their last angry encounter. Well, they never were. Every time she met this strange man, she had a strange feeling of being watched, being controlled. She didn't know why. But today she preferred to keep her distance from her father's most trusted advisor.

Her eyes roamed over the growing crowd. Now she wished that somehow Aladdin could rescue her from this mess. It had been a week since she had seen him last. It felt she was missing him. She missed his mischevious smile, his joyful eyes, his carefree attitude. She missed the sense of freedom whenever she was with him. Although he assured her that he would be there, she really didn't want him here. The palace was buzzing with the news of the break in the princess' room. The security in the palace had been doubled. Now fear and tension for the strange handsome thief occupied Jasmine's heart permanently; now she could hardly breathe normally.

And the strange feeling of being watched, Jasmine just couldn't let it go.

"Nearly everyone has arrived," Dalia bubbled excitedly as another guest entered, "Look there is Prince Anders."

Jasmine peered through the crowd and spotted the stupid prince among the crowd. "He has not returned yet." She frowned as the prince strode to her direction.

Unknowingly her eyes traveled to the crowd. Her eyes caught the sight of her father speaking with few other dignitaries from the east, and Jafar standing stiffly beside him, sipping from a golden goblet. His eyes fixed on her. Jasmine looked away. Her expecting eyes scanned the crowd, but there was no sign of the familiar street thief. Jasmine's heart sank. He wasn't here.

"Salam, princess." Jasmine jerked back to the reality as Prince Anders spoke: "I have a gift for you." He held out his hand, Jasmine noticed a strange looking object in his hand.

"It is called a golden fork." He grinned, placing the gift on her palm, and Jasmine looked up to him, and her eyes automatically narrowed with disgust. He was dressed in a bubblegum pink suit with a pair of matched orange shoes that made a horrible contrast with his grey fur hat. Jasmine wondered who let this badly dressed joker inside the room.

"Thank you." She tried to grin and looked away to turn her attention on something other than this eyesore. But Prince Anders took a step closer. Bending low as if to murmur some intimate compliment, he said, "We match, aren't we?" His eyes were roaming over then aquamarine bodice tightly clinging to her body. Jasmine almost gagged at his compliment, but still, she kept her face carefully calm, "Of course, but you look dashing today."

He couldn't get the veiled sarcasm in her voice, instead, it encouraged the peacock prince, so he continued "Would you like to dance, princess?"

"Of course," Jasmine whispered on a choked laugh. Her eyes were scanning the crowd, hoping for someone to rescue her. To her relief, she found her father coming towards her. She quickly freed herself from the prince's deadly clutch and turned to her father.

"Baba, you look great." She said cheerfully.

"I'm honored, darling." The sultan smiled, looking at his daughter and then he stared in stunned admiration at the girl, who was standing before him clad in bright aquamarine pants and low cut bodice. A magnificent sheer cape lined in velvet was also bordered in pearls, attached at her shoulders with a pair of magnificent gold brooches set with pearls, rubies, and diamonds. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and back, contrasting the jewels she wore.

"My, my, you look like an angel." The sultan hugged her daughter and kissed her temple. "I wish your mother could see you today. Do you like to meet the dignitaries from Persia?"

"Of course." Excitement rushed through Jasmine's whole body. Not every day her father offered her to meet with the ambassadors from other kingdoms. Prince Anders didn't look so happy with the offer. But Jasmine simply ignored him and left with her father.

"My Sultan…Lord Rahim-al-din is waiting for you."

She had only crossed halfway through the hall when a voice spoke, and both the father and daughter turned to find Jafar standing behind them. Jasmine let out a sigh.

"Yes, Jafar." The sultan gave her an apologetic look and nodded to the vizier. Then he turned and smiled sadly, "Would you mind if…"

"It's alright, baba." Jasmine patted her father's hand. She knew she couldn't stop him from having meetings with the foreign dignitaries. Her eyes met the vizier. A subtle hint of victory didn't escape her gaze. But she decided to ignore it. As soon as she learned to live with his attitude, she would find peace. But it was not just in her nature. Sometimes she felt like a prisoner inside her own home.

With all the guests busy with the foods and dance in the hall, Jasmine let a sigh to escape. Dalia was dancing with a new guard at a distance. Suddenly she realized, even among all the people, she was actually the loneliest person in the room. She picked up a glass of grape juice and retreated in a corner. Rajah's soft head rubbed against her leg. She sank her fingers inside the tiger's soft fur. The tiger purred.

She took a sip from her glass watching the people dancing with the music. "Let's celebrate the worst festival ever…" She looked at Rajah, who nodded in agreement. But the words became a scream that shifted by a man's hand that clapped over her mouth as he began dragging her back towards the exit.

"Care to sneak out?" In the candlelight, she could see a pair of beautiful brown eyes looking at her through a hooded grey cloak.

.

.

.

Jasmine closed her eyes the entire time. Not once did she peek. He made her promise him.

"Dalia!" She heard his voice, deep and reassuring from the middle of nowhere. A cold wind blew to her face, and she inhaled. The air was laden with the smell of burning firewood, freshly baked bread…and…..people.

"You can open your eyes now."

And when she did, she saw him standing tall with a crooked grin in her face. She blinked and looked at her surroundings.

She gasped.

They were standing at the edge of a narrow rooftop, not very far away from the palace. She looked down and the wall dropped almost thirty feet below. She looked at her feet and found her standing at the edge, then looked back at Aladdin, who had already comfortably seated himself at the edge of the roof.

"Come here." He patted the empty space beside him. Jasmine blinked. How on earth she could walk along this narrow edge? Understanding her hesitation, Aladdin held out his hand to her and she took it.

"Stay close." He told her and grabbed her arm tight.

Jasmine looped her arm around his, and carefully moved into space beside him. Her legs dangled almost thirty feet above the ground. Jasmine looked down, and her eyes automatically closed shut. Her stomach churned. How on earth she had herself in this impossible position?

"Open your eyes, Dalia." She felt a finger below her chin, and she opened her eyes almost reluctantly and looked at the amazing man in front of her. The moonlight highlighted his cheekbones and shone of his thick dark hair. Her breath caught in her chest. For a moment she felt his warm breath brushing her forehead.

"Do you like it?" He moved his face away from her a second before his lips touched hers. Jasmine felt almost disappointed. Cursing him inwardly, she followed his eyes and gasped at the scenario below.

Hundreds of people gathered around fire below, dancing, arm in arm. They were singing some local songs that she had never heard before. There was no professional music, no trained dancers, still, the crowd radiated life. Jasmine had never seen anything like this.

"What is this?" She asked without looking away.

"They are celebrating their own harvest." Aladdin nodded. "Sometimes you just have to see it from a different point of view," he said. He looked down and watched as a pair dancing a bit away from the crowd, lost in each other's eyes.

Following his gaze, Jasmine smiled. "It's different," she smiled. "They feel so genuine. So different. You don't anything like in the palace. Everything in there is so artificial."

"You are different." Aladdin was surprised by the boldness of his response. It had been that way since he'd first met Dalia—he felt a sort of comfort and ease as if they had known each other for a long time. He had spent so many years alone, with only Abu for company, that he had forgotten what it was like to see someone and, in turn, be truly seen by them. He looked at the girl beside him. She was gorgeous, with those beautiful mesmerizing eyes and the heartbreaking face, but in the moonlight, she looked like a mysterious fairy from the fairytale. His breath caught inside his chest as he moved near him so that he could feel the warmth radiating from her body.

Jasmine let out a sigh. "You think so?"

"Does it matter what I think?" He stopped and smiled at her, realizing the mood had shifted.

To his surprise, Dalia didn't answer right away. Instead, she grew silent. Her eyes widened. She leaned in closer. For one heart-pounding moment, Aladdin thought maybe she was going to kiss him. But then she snapped back and looked down at the market below. "Can we…." She hesitated for a moment, and then looked at him, "Can we join them?"

Aladdin felt he was in a trance. Without thinking, he shook his head. "Yes, why not?"

.

.

.

A few moments later, they found them standing in the middle of the crowd. The firewood crackled, as the music grew faster and faster. He saw Morgiana in the crowd. She noticed him, and waved, Aladdin waved back. Beside him, Dalia was watching them dance with wide eyes. Aladdin felt the Dalia wrapping her arm around his, her body swaying with the beats of music.

"Let's dance." She suddenly held out her hand, and Aladdin's eyes widened.

He wiped his suddenly clammy palm against his pant leg and took her hand in his. Then he allowed her to lead him out onto the dance floor. His mind had suddenly gone back to blank. Dance? With Dalia? He was going to make a total fool of himself. He had never danced in his life, let alone danced with a beautiful girl….

But it was too late. Dalia had already dragged him in the middle, and people moved away making room for them. Dalia stood in the middle of the crowd, her hip began to move with the beats of music. Unable to think of anything else, he followed the crowd and gave her a ceremonial bow. Dalia lowered her gaze to meet his eyes. There was a smile on her lips. There was a strange reassurance in her smile, that Aladdin closed his eyes, and shook his head. He was going to ruin this.

And Dalia would find him a total fool.

As the music grew louder and faster, Aladdin tried to move his legs and arms synchronizing with the crowd, making him look like a flailing puppet and causing Dalia to laugh out loud.

Her laughter, kind and full of life, surprised Aladdin. Meeting her eyes, he was surprised to see softness. A wave of confidence washed over him. He met her gaze with confidence and matched her step with the next beat of the music.

As the beat of the music grew louder, Aladdin let himself go. He stopped thinking about the people watching him. He stopped caring about the looks he felt on his back. He didn't even try to follow the steps of the dance, like everyone else. All he did was focus on the sound of Dalia's laughter and the feel of her hand in his and the pleasure it gave him. Their eyes met, and they shared a smile.

Emboldened, Aladdin spun her out and then pulled her back into him. Aladdin felt his brain shutting down. She was pressed against his side, her body sending tasty warmth through his clothing. The audience warmed over by the obvious fun the pair was having, let out a round of applause.

But Aladdin couldn't concentrate on anything anymore. All he could concentrate on the girl in his arms.

"I've never been in this part of the kingdom before." She whispered looking at him with her big grateful eyes. "Thank you."

Aladdin's breath caught in his chest. Nobody ever thanked him before.

"It is amazing," Jasmine whispered. She didn't want him to see how she didn't want the night to end. He had, she thought, shown her more than she could have imagined. He had shown her a different side of her people, natural and happy with the barest of needs. He appreciated her freedom and respected her for what she was. Feeling his gaze on her, Jasmine looked up at the amazing man she had ever met. For a long moment, they both just stood there, unsure of what was happening between them.

"Do you like it?" He touched her chin almost hesitantly. "If you want, there are many other places…."Aladdin looked deep into her eyes, seeking reassurance, but he did see the new tenderness in her slow smile, he felt it in the way her arms encircled him, her hand splaying against his spine, clasping him close to her as her mouth took possession of him, robbing him of speech. When they needed air, they pulled off and smiled guiltily.

The crowd cheered behind them. Again they melted into another kiss softly, gently and then urgently.

Then, just then a scream erupted from the crowd, breaking them apart. Aladdin looked up to see a distant outline of men on horseback, clad in the uniform of Agrabah guards.

_But how_…Dalia sent him a questioning look.

A better question, Aladdin realized instantly, was how they had known where they were.

"Aladdin…What we gonna do now?" Dalia whispered, panicked, not really fond of the idea of jumping over the roofs again.

'I don't know, really." Aladdin admitted, "Actually all I can think of running."

"Me too." Dalia moved closer.

"Finally, I've found you!" One of the guards shouted behind them.

"For what?" Aladdin slipped his leg tactfully between the man's legs, knocking him onto his face. The man landed on the ground with an awfully silly look on his face. 'Wha…" All of a sudden the guards startled with their comrade's collapse. Their eyes moved toward him while Aladdin grabbed Dalia's hand.

They ran.

'Look." The sound of their feet on the dry ground made the crowd stir behind them. They made a mad dash to the right; the clatter of the swords suddenly blasted their ears. The guards had finally realized their plan. They turned to the other way; actually, there was no way, only to be blocked off by another bunch of guards.

There was no way to go. Aladdin noted a small gap in his left and headed towards it.

They slammed into the head guard's chest.

"It was you who broke into the princess' room that night, Street Rat?" he said with a tired irony. He grabbed Aladdin by his vest, shoving him off to the second squad of guards behind him.

Aladdin cursed. He should have realized he could never break into the princess' room without avoiding the guard's eye. What a fool he was.

"It's the dungeon for you this time, boy. No escape."

His eyes met Dalia who was watching the whole ordeal, a bit shocked expression in her face. Suddenly he felt guilty for dragging her into the mess. It was his fault that he was not careful enough. His eyes widened when she finally strode forward and faced the head guard.

"Let him go!" she shouted.

"Well, look at that," The head guard said, tossing her aside. "A Street _Mouse_."

Aladdin felt his blood boil as Dalia tumbled to the ground. The guards began to laugh; even Hakim chuckled as he turned to go.

_"Unhand him."_

Dalia stood up and swept off her veil. _"By order of the royal princess!"_

The head guard stopped chuckling and the guards gasped.

"Princess."

They bowed in unison.

Aladdin felt his stomach flip.

Dalia, the royal handmaid he had spent his days thinking about, the girl who ran away from the guards with him, who had taken care of him when he was ill, the girl who he had just kissed, was not some servant girl working in the palace. She was a princess. _The_ royal princess.

_Jasmine._

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**Next chapter- The cave of wonders**


	7. Betrayal

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 7- Betrayal**

Jasmine was seething.

In fact, she had been seething since they dragged her home. Aladdin was mercilessly whisked away by the guards for no valid reason, and she had returned to the palace, escorted by the guards like a common criminal. The only difference - that she was not shackled or thrown in the dungeon. She asked Hakim for the explanation, but the only answer she found was silence.

"My lips are sealed." He nodded apologetically, "By the order of the grand vizier himself."

"He is not an _enemy of the state_ or a _spy_," Jasmine cried, exasperated. She almost lost her temper and stomped her foot like the angry little girl she felt. "He's just an ordinary boy. A harmless boy who was showing me around Agrabah."

Hakim continued to say nothing, but there was a look in his eyes that betrayed the last thing she said.

Suddenly Jasmine realized with horror where this whole thing—her and Aladdin—was going. The head guard just found their princess kissing a common thief in the public.

"It was just…" Jasmine whispered, "_I was not running away with him_." She shook her head forcefully, trying to establish the truth behind her claim. But was there much truth actually? _No._ "He wasn't going to…We weren't going to…"

Hakim looked uncomfortable.

"I will go find Vizier Jafar and clear this up immediately," she said, stalking off.

But she did not need to go far, because her father, the sultan was already waiting for her at the door. "Jasmine. Are you alright?" The Sultan beamed, but his smile soon vanished when his eyes caught her dusty, dirty look. Her sash was askew; her turquoise pant was torn at the ankle.

"Did the boy do something bad to you?" His concerned gaze was running all over her torn clothing, and dusty feet. "You can tell me, dear. The bastard will be punished accordingly." The Sultan took his daughter's hand and led her to a seat beside him. There was so much concern in his eyes.

And anger.

He was suspecting Aladdin for kidnapping her.

Jasmine took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to approach him. Surely, he would be furious if he knew the truth. But if he didn't know the truth Aladdin would possibly be in the dungeons….hungry…beaten….or worse…..Dead.

"Baba," Forced by twin demons fear and furry, Jasmine grinded her teeth trying to rein her impatience. She needed to settle things before anyone could lay hand on her Aladdin.

_Her Aladdin_… It was strange how she already felt possessive of him. She had not changed or bathed since the night before. Her dark hair came out of her band. She was covered with sweat and dust from the market, and it dried on her body. Unconsciously she rubbed her fingers over her lips. Her lips still tasted like his. It was her fault that he was dragged into this mess.

She had to clear this mess before anything bad could happen to him.

Because she didn't know what she would do if she lost him.

"What's the wrong dearest?" The sultan again threw a concerned gaze to his daughter. Something was not right about her.

"Baba," Jasmine took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to tell the truth. She knew what she was about to tell would tarnish her reputation in front of her father. But Jasmine did not care anything any more.

"I was not kidnapped last night." She started slowly, ignoring the wide gaze of Hakim behind her, "I slipped out of the palace last night…."

"Jasmine!" Her father admonished. The rest of the guards stared at her with surprise. She knew her reputation would only grow worse from the moment she told them about the rest of the night, but she just simply care anymore. She took a deep breath and continued, "And that boy offered me to show around…. Actually, he saved me once in the market from being caught by one of the vendors."

The sultan blinked.

"And Jafar ordered the guards…" She began slowly, "the boy….arrested…."

"How dare you?" the sultan finally said, in something between the outraged yell of a sultan and the shriek of a father. "You left the palace unguarded?"

He knew Jasmine was a little wild but he just couldn't imagine his daughter could do something outrageous. He let go of her hand, and jumped to his feet, eyes burning. "With a boy? Do you know what that means?"

Jasmine had never seen her father so angry before. "Yes." Jasmine held her place, looking into her father's angry eyes.

"Jasmine." The Sultan still could not believe his daughter's action. Behind him, people kept looking. He looked back into Jasmine's eyes and saw the fierceness in there. Somehow her actions reminded him of his wife. He didn't know what made Jasmine disobey his order in the first place, but she had some reason for her action for sure.

"But, Baba," Jasmine insisted wildly, voicing the first logical argument that tumbled in her mind, "I want to see my kingdom. You have no idea about what is going on out there."

The Sultan looked at his daughter wordlessly for a moment. His initial anger was dissipating. Her argument was valid because she loved her people, and this realization flooded the Sultan's heart with affection. He moved to his daughter's side, and cupped her chin, "Jasmine, you have no idea how dangerous the world is out there. What Jafar did was right. You don't understand…"

_Like not understanding how things work in the world outside these walls. Money. Poverty. Kissing a boy she liked__…_

_"But…baba, the boy…" Jasmine _said, finally unable to conceal her impatience anymore, "He did nothing wrong. He wasn't hurting me, he was helping me, and he deserves a reward, _not_ to be locked up."

"Would you were right, my child, but you're wrong." Suddenly he paused for emphasis, a fond smile on his face, "It is not a question of right and wrong. It is the question of your reputation. You can't be seen wondering with some random street boy."

"Reputation," Jasmine repeated blankly. "Baba, I know what you mean, but you can't punish someone for something he did not." Her hands clutching helplessly at her pants, she looked at him with a desperate plea, while her mind made up all the possible scenarios of the brutal tortures Aladdin had to endure.

"Please," she said, looking at the guards behind her, then at her father. "Try to understand. It is not the question of my reputation. It is a question of an innocent life. If mama were alive would you let an innocent to be punished in this way? "

She just hit his weakest point.

And his daughter's stubbornness, her unwillingness to understand the reality pushed a quiet man like the sultan at the edge of his patience. His morale was weakening with every word she spoke, and he felt a sudden urge to silence her before his heart could overrule his logic.

"Stop arguing, Jasmine." Finally, he snapped, raising his voice at his daughter, feeling bad for chiding her in this way. "Stop speaking of the things you have no idea about. You have already broken the law of the kingdom. Don't lower my head by tarnishing your reputation in the public. A princess has nothing to do with a street boy. And he will be punished for laying his hand on you."

Jasmine felt as if he had slapped her, because he too was sounding like Jafar, like the rest of the world. She hoped at least her father would understand her, but it seemed like he did not anymore. Yet in some tiny part of her, she realized her father was only trying to keep himself from breaking. "But—" She whispered, almost inaudibly.

"I know the law, Jasmine." The sultan cut her off firmly, feeling guilty as he looked at his daughter's face, at the hurt look in her eyes. But his sense of duty made him speak the next words, "Now it is time to learn yours. You must learn the duties of a princess, letting go of your childish desires."

Each word her father spoke struck Jasmine's heart like a lash, making her cringe with shame and hurt that was almost past bearing. When he was finished, she stood there while a blessed, cold numbness came over her, until she felt nothing at all. Nothing struck her like this. Nothing, not even Jafar's slick remarks. When she finally came back to reality, she thrust opened the door and ran.

.

.

.

Aladdin blinked his eyes open. He wished he did not, because the bright sunlight reflecting over the sea of yellow sands almost blinded him. The heat was almost unbearable, and his body was swaying with every movement whatever he was on. Abu's familiar chattering over his shoulder made him feel better. He blinked again and looked at his transport. He was on the camel. He looked around him, at the endless sea of yellow sand stretching as far as he could see. He was not in a dungeon, not in the palace, not even in Agrabah.

"Where am I?" He whispered to himself.

"In the world of trouble boy." The answer came from a man beside him, dressed in expensive red-black robes completed with a matching turban. Aladdin narrowed his eyes. The grand vizier. Well, Aladdin could recognize him anywhere. How could he forget the man who turned the streets of Agrabah a place of terror with his army of guards? He swallowed. Being caught by the grand vizier was not really a good sign.

"I…" He licked his chapped lips, "I really did not know she was the princess. I thought she was the handmaid."

"Really?" Aladdin's camel came to halt as the vizier signaled the rider to stop. He led his own camel near him and leaned in as if telling him a secret. "Really, boy?" There was an oily smile on his lips, "She told you that?"

Aladdin nodded, his cheeks burning. How could he miss this? That bracelet was too expensive for a servant girl to wear.

"Well, finally the truth comes out." Jafar grinned, amused. "Have you wondered why you are you here?"

Aladdin nodded. He did.

Jafar's smile only grew broader. "Foolish boy. You are not the first one."

Aladdin looked down, his cheeks still burning. There was a strange lump forming inside his throat. She had been playacting with him? About everything? Of course, he was not the first one. He might be one of the strings of lovers the princess had. She was obviously tired of the peacock princes and looked at him for a change. He thought back to their moments in his tower, the way she pressed her lips against his. That couldn't have been an act, could it? His face crumpled. There was a strange stinging sensation in his eyes. He blinked hard. No, he wouldn't cry.

But who was he kidding? Of course, it could have been an act. After all, pretending to be something you weren't was how he lived nearly every day of his life. Who was to say a princess couldn't do the same thing?

"Sorry to break your illusion, boy," Jafar said almost pitifully. "But she will never be yours. She will marry a prince."

Aladdin knew. He closed his eyes. The only thing he could remember Dalia….Jasmine's beautiful face looking at him, the way her lips tasted against his. Sometimes, sometimes he thought about a life with her. Now it seemed nothing but a distant dream. But was everything just an act?

He felt the keen eyes of the grand vizier upon him. He knew he was watching him. Aladdin blinked again. Unconsciously a drop of tear slipped from his eyes.

"Do you know the punishment for what you did?" Jafar suddenly broke the silence. Aladdin shook his head without looking at him. Everything was already getting too much to bear. Jafar simply ignored his disinterest. "Death." He continued, "It happened to whoever set his eyes on the princess before. What do they call you?" he asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"Aladdin," Aladdin answered. Nothing mattered to him anymore. The only feeling he could feel was betrayal.

"Aladdin," Jafar's expression softened. "Things happen to people like us. But when you can find a way to change your situation, you can win."

_"Us?"_ Aladdin replied, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. The comparison seemed unlikely. The vizier was dripping in money and had the air of someone used to the creature comforts of life. It was hard to imagine he had ever had to fight for anything.

"Yes," The vizier nodded and moved something shiny in front of him. The necklace. Aladdin searched his pocket and found it empty. He opened his mouth once and closed again. The vizier just stole the necklace from his pocket right under his nose.

"I was once a street thief. Just like you." Jafar smiled, handing him back the necklace. Aladdin looked at the necklace, then back at the vizier, shocked. It was impossible. He just couldn't imagine this grand vizier running, stealing across the road like him. Jafar watched his shocked expression and smiled. "I know what you are thinking, Aladdin."

Aladdin stared. "How did you become a vizier?" He stammered. He just couldn't believe what was happening today. First, he found the handmaid was the princess, then the princess was playing with him, then the grand vizier was a street thief like him. What was actually happening? He pinched himself to check if he was actually dreaming.

The oily smile returned in the vizier's face, "Because I learned to steal something bigger. I stole a kingdom."

"What?" Aladdin's jaw hit the ground. He couldn't believe the grand vizier sharing some intimate secrets of his life with him. But why would he lie to him? He looked at the vizier's face, trying to study his expression. Something in there told him he was genuine. Watching Aladdin's curious expression, the vizier smiled, "Are you thinking why I am sharing my secret instead of executing you?"

That was his actual thought at this moment. He turned his head and saw the guards standing at a distance, waiting for the vizier's order.

"I can have your head for what you did." Jafar went on, "But you awfully remind me of my younger days. So I want to offer you an opportunity."

"An opportunity?" Aladdin's eyes widened. The grand vizier was offering him an opportunity. _Opportunity…_. The parrot over his shoulder repeated.

"Yes," As if reading his thoughts, the vizier smiled, "I can make you rich. Rich enough to impress the princess. But only in the exchange of a small favor."

Now that sounded like an opportunity. As a street rat, he learned not to turn down an opportunity. And every action would come with consequences. Sure he couldn't go back to Agrabah after what he did. But the vizier's offer seemed lucrative than losing his head.

He carefully tucked the necklace in his pocket and leaned in, locking his gaze into the vizier's intensively. "Tell me what I have to do?"

Slowly, very slowly a victorious smile laced the vizier's lips. He ran his gaze along with the young man before him and shook his head, "It is nothing hard, Aladdin. Do a simple work for me, and I will make you rich beyond imagination. Do you agree, boy?"

Aladdin looked away. The hot air was blowing in his face, creating a mirage at a distance. If he didn't help the vizier he would surely die, but if he helped him he might have wealth, money. His life would be changed. And with luck, he could…..

Maybe he could show the princess his worth. If not, he could simply live as a respectable man somewhere else. Also, help the people who were not lucky enough like him….

Where did his fate lay?

"Well," Finally, Aladdin tore his gaze away from the mirage, and looked at the vizier, "Tell me what to do."

.

.

.

They rode through the night. The moon was shining overhead, and Aladdin's thoughts drifted to their magical meetings. What was she doing right now? Laughing about him? Mocking at his foolishness?

Or… somewhere in the corner of his mind, Aladdin wondered if she was yearning for him. Like he was doing now. He wanted to believe everything the grand vizier told about her was a lie. His fingers touched his lips unconsciously. How could that kiss be false?

Over his shoulder, Abu was chattering way. Aladdin nodded at his friend and opened his mouth to say something reassuring when, suddenly, Jafar pulled his camel to a stop. The animal grunted, and Aladdin quickly pulled back on his own reins, startling Abu and causing the camel they rode to let out its own protest.

They were standing near a peculiarly shaped dune of sand. Aladdin followed the vizier's gaze but saw nothing. He turned his gaze at the man beside him and tried to decipher the creepy words the vizier was now muttering under his breath. After a while, his muttering stopped, and he looked at Aladdin.

"Your life begins now." He grinned.

"What?" Aladdin was confused, but his eyes followed Jafar's outstretched arm and caught the sight of a cave now appearing from the dune, shaped like a lion's mouth.

"Go inside." Jafar smiled at him, eyes distant, as he was in a trance. "The cave of wonders."

"Wonders…" The parrot called Iago repeated again.

"Me?" Aladdin squeaked. The cave rumbled and tumbled with every step they took near it. Abu let out a screech and wrapped his tail around Aladdin's neck. The cave's mouth opened slowly, and a blast of warm air blew in his face. It didn't look much safe.

"Yes, boy." Jafar smiled a triumphant smile. No one, except this boy, could approach to this near this cave safely. "It is your chance." He went on, "Inside you will see all the riches of the world, but take nothing, except an old oil lamp. No matter how sorely you are tempted…" And stared at Aladdin for a moment.

"I will try my best not to be tempted." Aladdin nodded and stepped inside. The cave was lit by a strange orange glow emitting from the core, the stairs looked much like a tongue than a stair. He looked back. Jafar looked almost nonexistent from this point inside the cave.

_Take nothing but the lamp._ He muttered to himself. There were heaps of gold, diamonds, rubies lying at his feet, and the temptation kept growing and growing. He took a deep breath and pushed his hands deep inside his vest pocket. There was a voice whispering in the wind "_One whose worth lies far within, a "diamond in the rough. Take nothing but the lamp."_

_A_bu let out another frightened chatter and buried himself deeper into Aladdin's hood. But before he could offer him comfort, the sand beneath his feet began to give away, and with a scream, Aladdin and Abu were sucked deeper into the cave.

And they finally landed on something soft.

A carpet.

Sliding off and getting back to his feet, he cocked his head. The purple rug appeared to be floating about a foot off the ground. Aladdin leaned down, trying to see how it was suspended. Was it caught on something? But there was nothing. No matter where he looked, the carpet seemed suspended without anything. He shook his head. It was not possible.

The carpet moved its tassel excitedly, pointing at him and towards a rock. Aladdin's mouth fell open. It was alive.

And it was a rug.

Unless…. He had _heard_ stories, but he had thought they were just that—stories. Apparently not.

"Abu.." he looked at the money over his shoulder, "Is it a magic carpet?"

The carpet began to nod, and Abu sank deeper into Aladdin's hood. Well, that was a surprise. But he waved back to the carpet anyways. "Ah, hello carpet."

Pleased, the carpet waved its tassel and hugged Aladdin tight. Aladdin marveled at the softness of the rug. It felt like a soft, warm, alive being hugging him. Something like Abu. "Good boy." He patted the carpet's tassel. Abu let out a jealous screech from his hood.

Aladdin decided to ignore him and asked the carpet about the lamp. The carpet nodded again and pointed its tassel to the heart of the cave.

Aladdin decided to follow the carpet's lead. Mounds gold, rubies, and jewels sparkled around them, Aladdin's finger itched to touch every time he laid his eyes on the untouchable jewels. He clamped his hands in fists inside his pockets and walked on. On his shoulder, Abu seemed to be in trance. His little monkey fingers were itching. And he did reach out for a huge sapphire on a nearby wall.

The cave rumbled.

"Abu," Aladdin warned, and grabbed Abu before touching the jewel. They were almost close. Aladdin's eyes drifted over the riches around them, but he was focused. If he wanted a life outside this cave, he needed to stay focused.

For himself.

_For Jasmine._

The path seemed endless. He wondered if he could ever find what he was searching for. "Carpet," He asked absentmindedly, "We are looking for an old brass lamp…:

Aladdin didn't even need to finish his question. The carpet pointed one of its tassels toward the heart of the cave. Large pillar rose from the heart of the cave, forming a circle around another higher rock, floating in the air. In the middle there was a small brass lamp, shining over the topmost pillar.

That was not hard, Aladdin thought to himself, as he followed the carpet. He dropped Abu at the foot of the nearest pillar and rubbed his hands. He needed to climb these pillars.

"Keep your monkey hands to yourself." He told Abu, getting a nod in return. He sighed in relief and began climbing. Abu kept screeching angrily, but he had no choice. He needed to rein his temptation.

It was not so hard to reach the top, and when he did, his hand accidentally brushed over golds and jewels. Every time the cave rumbled in a warning. He carefully removed his hand from the gold and continued to climb.

And finally, he was on the top pillar. In one quick move, he snatched it up. "Ha-ha!" he cried. As he looked down to show Abu, Aladdin's eyes grew wide and he let out a frightened shout as he caught Abu grabbing at a bright red ruby.

But it was too late. Abu's little hand had closed around the ruby.

Instantly, the cave let out a monstrous growl. The whole room began to rumble and shake, splitting one of the cave walls wide open. A river of molten lava began to pour out, melting gold and jewels instantly. A moment later it barreled into the pillar that Aladdin was clinging to, knocking it over. A scream caught in his throat as Aladdin was sent flying down—straight toward the deadly lava.

Just in time, the carpet swooped up and caught him. Landing on the carpet's surface, Aladdin let out a triumphant shout as they began to swerve around falling pillars and waves of lava, heading toward the exit. His shout died when saw Abu sitting over a rock, nearly swollen by the molten lava. He stirred the carpet low, and grabbed Abu, as the cave behind them continued to collapse.

The carpet flew on. Swooping right and left, up and down, the carpet managed to avoid being hit and burnt, but the exit was closing with every minute they spent inside the cave. He caught a hazy outline of Jafar standing at the exit and caught the carpet's tussles.

Almost there.

_Wait until I tell the princess about this…_ In the stories he heard from his mother, the heroine often ran into the victorious hero's arms.

Wait, till he became the hero of his own story.

Just then a rock fell from above, sending the carpet and Abu flying downwards. Aladdin frailed his arms and landed with a painful thud at the ledge of the entrance.

"Abu.." He looked down to find the monkey safely landing over rock nearby, still intact on the carpet, looking up he found Jafar waiting for him above.

The carpet was painfully trapped under a rock below. Suddenly the rock beneath his feet gave out and Aladdin slipped. Fortunately, he gripped the edge, trying to keep him on the ledge. Spotting him, Jafar ran closer.

"Give me the lamp." He hissed, his eyes were glowing with anticipation.

Aladdin could hardly keep himself steady, his arm muscles were straining. The lamp was hanging from his belt. It was too painful to reach for it.

"Can you give me a hand?" Aladdin shouted.

"First the lamp!" Jafar shouted back.

Aladdin shook his head. "_First_, your hand!"

"You must trust me, Aladdin," Jafar said. "Give me the lamp."

Underneath him, lava erupted with a sickening growl of a dying lion. Abu screeched and climbed over Aladdin's shoulder, wrapping his tail tightly around his neck. Aladdin looked below. The carpet was still trapped under a rock, and his legs were swinging over a thousand feet of molten lava.

It was hot, it was hard to breathe with every passing second. Besides, it was the lamp that he was after. He promised the vizier. He couldn't hold on any longer. He had no choice left. So what did it matter if he gave it to him now? If he waited, he might fall to his death. Lifting the lamp, he offered it up to Jafar. "Now, your hand!"

"How about my foot?" Jafar answered. With lightning-quick speed, Jafar snatched the lamp and slipped it into the satchel he had over his shoulder. Then he slammed his foot down on Aladdin's hand. As Aladdin screamed in pain, Jafar turned and began to head back out of the cave, leaving Aladdin dangling off the ledge.

"Oh no!" Aladdin screamed. He wanted to hit himself. How could he not see this? The vizier was a con artist before he was the sultan's advisor. Of course, he would trick him, played him a fool!

Now he was gone with the lamp, leaving Aladdin waiting for a fiery death.

He never imagined dying like this. He imagined being thrown in the dungeons, but not death. Memories began flooding his mind- his mother, his father….Jasmine.

Did she really play with him? Was everything the vizier told about was true?

But after now he didn't believe anything the vizier said.

Possibly she was just as desperate as he was. Suddenly he felt guilty for not saying goodbye to her.

But did it really matter anymore? He was going to die anyway.

Just then, the cave gave one last terrible roar, and a huge tremor sent Aladdin flying backward.

Jafar looked back as the cave of wonders began to disappear into the sand dune.

Inside Aladdin tumbled back into the cavern, falling into the darkness and lava, with no way out, no treasure—and _no lamp_.

**Done with this giant chapter. Sorry, it reads exactly like the movie novelization, but I wanted to stay true in this part. Don't worry, it will be different from now on. I will explore more into the Genie lore and other Arabian folktales.**

**Reviews, faves, and follows will be awesome. I do love hearing from you, as well as suggestions if you have any. **


	8. Sand in the Wind

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 8- Sand in the Wind**

Sunlight spilled through the balcony, making the golden draperies of her chamber sparkle. A warm wind blew, carrying the blissful scent of the garden and chipping of the morning birds. But despite the idyllic moment, Jasmine's brows were furrowed, her thoughts troubled.

Dalia kept watching the princess. She had been pacing since her return. She had a heated argument with her father, her secret escapes had been exposed, and the boy she liked was thrown in the dungeon. Surely, she had many things to worry about. Now Dalia worried that she might dig a hole in the Persian carpet on the floor.

Suddenly she stopped. "I need to find him." She announced.

"Are you planning to escape again?" Dalia frowned, looking at the guards at the door, not really liking their presence, "There are five more of them today. The sultan will not be happy."

Jasmine looked over the guards and gave Dalia an impatient glare. "I know, it is my fault," she admitted. "I should just stay put and wait for Baba to calm down. But the vizier may not wait. I am afraid he might do something to Aladdin. Do you understand…?" Her voice trailed off.

Dalia shook her head. "Yes," she said. "But the grand vizier is a dangerous man. You must not go against him. Besides your action will put the boy into more danger than he already is."

Jasmine sighed. She knew that going against the grand vizier was the craziest idea she ever had. The man had not only her father but also everyone in the royal household under his control. She knew that complaining to Dalia wouldn't bring any solution. And she knew that in the grand scheme of things, it could have been a lot worse. Her father was already angry with her, her reputation had already been ruined, and Aladdin was in danger. What more she had to lose?

But she could not just sit and watch. If she was the cause of this mess, she needed to clear this up. A thought that gave her the smallest flicker of hope. She needed to find Aladdin. She could just help him escape, and tell him to forget her. It would break her heart, but it was the only way she could think of right now. She looked at Dalia, and grasped her hand, "Dalia, can you take me to the dungeons?" Getting Dalia's frightened gaze in return, Jasmine tried to give the most miserable look she could manage.

"Please."

Dalia looked at the pair of trembling hand grasping hers desperately, and the pleading face of the girl she loved since her childhood.

"Well," She patted Jasmine's hand and sighed. She could never deny her.

Before Jasmine could even say anything in return, the door behind them opened, and the head guard Hakim entered.

"My princess." He bowed, "The grand vizier requested your presence in the dungeon."

Dalia gave Jasmine a frightened look, Jasmine swallowed. What did the grand vizier want with her? Did they just overhead their conversation? Did the vizier just execute Aladdin? Her heart was thumping inside her chest violently. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"Coming." She told Hakim, still clutching Dalia's hand tightly.

.

.

.

Aladdin was digging.

He was trapped inside the cave of wonders, better to call it the cave of death right now, thousands of feet underground. He had been digging, Allah knew for how long. He had just lost count of time, hours and days. He felt like he was trapped in the cave for eternity.

"Abu," He threw away a handful of rocks in frustration and threw himself over another bigger boulder nearby. It was so suffocating hot inside, and he was drowned in his own sweat. He was so thirsty his tongue was swollen and he couldn't swallow. He was so hungry he could barely even sit up; most of his scrabbling was done while lying down. He was so tired that the difference between _asleep_ and _awake_ was becoming hard to distinguish.

He was surprised to find himself alive after his tumble into the lava. Fortunately, the carpet caught him in time. But now he was going to die here anyway.

Aladdin looked at the carpet hovering over him, fanning him with his tussles. "Do you know any way out of here?" He asked. It was weird he was asking a carpet questions. Maybe he was losing his mind now. The carpet shook its tassel miserably.

Aladdin looked up. It was pitch black around him, except the occasional flicker of lava underneath. No sign of sunlight. No way out.

Aladdin sighed and closed his eyes. What was he going to do? He tried to think about possible solutions, but there was not any. He thought and thought and finally ended up with a headache. His thoughts turned to the crazy, evil grand vizier and his attempt at murder. He just couldn't figure out why, once powerful vizier had the stupid trinket he wanted, he had felt it necessary to _kill_ Aladdin. He had what he wanted and Aladdin couldn't care less what happened to him and his dumb lamp.

But Aladdin regretted more of his own foolishness. If he was not drowned in his own greed, his temptation to win over the princess, he wouldn't have fallen in with the crazy, power hungry vizier, and he wouldn't be there now, trying to dig himself out of a black, suffocating pit in the middle of the desert.

It was better if he had never met her.

But would his life be complete if he hadn't met her? No. He just could not forget the tenderness in her large brown eyes, the way she laughed to his silly jokes, the way her lips tasted against his.

He just could not forget.

Abu chipped beside him miserably. His fur was lusterless; he looked so hungry and weak. He curled beside him and watched him expectantly.

"I am sorry, Abu." He said to the little monkey. Abu chipped again and wound his tiny arms around his neck. Aladdin wrapped his hand around his small body and closed his eyes.

She would never know what happened to him. She might just forget him like another distraction.

He would just die here alone, with no one to find him, no one to offer him solace, only with her memory burning in his mind.

.

.

.

Jasmine was nervous. She swallowed again, and escaped a glance from Dalia, trying to lessen the increasing tension inside her. She felt the handmaid's hand squeezing her in the real assurance, but still, an unknown fear hung in her mind. What if she was late? Too late to find out him alive?

The guards stared behind them. She just couldn't imagine what was waiting for her. Why the grand vizier wanted her here? What did he want to show her? She continued to follow Hakim deeper into the dungeons. The guards nodded and stepped back.

The floor was cold underneath her feet, and the dim light of the touches fastened to the wall, casting large shadows across the huge corridor, made the place even more ghostly. Jasmine's heart jumped to her throat as she barely missed stepping on an arm of a man, sprawling across the corridor, drunk, and the comments coming from her behind made her blush harder. Dalia understood that because she wrapped her arm around the princess even more tightly than before. Jasmine looked into her eyes, and in the answer, the handmaid shook her head a little; but none of them uttered a single word. Their hearts were filled with worry about the uncertainty. What was waiting for them….oh, Jasmine was even afraid to imagine….

But there was no turning away right now. She had to find him, help him to escape the prison, never to return. Surely she would miss him, but it was better than have him dead.

Before she knew it, the head guard had stopped and turned to face one criminal's cell. Jasmine tried to peek through, but two guards standing at attention blocked her view. The guards exchanged confused looks when they saw the princess coming, even a bit frightened, Jasmine guessed, but soon they bowed and stepped aside when Hakim ordered, "We're here to meet one prisoner. Would you let us in please?"

"O…of ..course." One of them mumbled while another adjusted the key into the keyhole. The look of uneasiness sent a sense of alarm through Jasmine's body. As soon as the door slid open, Jasmine took one last deep breath, looked up at Dalia one last time, and then hesitantly stepped inside of the cell, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she heard the bars slide shut behind her.

She blinked in the darkness, still not adjusting with it. Her pupil dilated a bit to adjust the scanty amount of morning light coming from the barred window above, casting a stripped shadow across the stone wall. Blinking several times, she surveyed the area, searching for the prisoner inside.

Suddenly she spotted him, lying at a corner, curled up in a fetal position; his knees almost touched his chin. But instead of her heart soaring with joy, it immediately froze. Because the prison was not who she expected. He looked old, his white hair and beard looked achingly familiar.

Then she realized, and almost stumbled backward with a gasp.

"Baba." A blood curling scream ripped her throat, as she rushed over to his side. Her mind trying to explore the situation of how her father, the sultan had ended here. She placed a hand over his shoulder and shook him. But the old sultan remained unmoving. A few drops of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Oh, Allah! Was he…dead? But how?

"Baba." She cried and turned him over on his back, lifting his head over her lap. His eyes were open, and there was a strange vacant look in his eyes. Jasmine let out a sigh of relief when she felt a weak pulse in his neck.

"Who did this to my father?" She ran towards the bars and lightly shook the door. _Locked._ From the _outside__._ _What was happening? _Her mind conjured up the idea of possible rebellions, but who did this? Everyone was so loyal to them. Her eyes searched for Dalia, but she had been already dragged in a corner by other guards. She looked up and found the head guard standing outside the bars. Her eyes met his, only to find silence.

"Hakim, what is happening?" Jasmine screamed, desperately shaking the lock at the door. "What is happening? Let us out, Hakim."

"I am sorry, princess." The head guard bowed his head, nodding sadly, "I am bound to my sultan."

Jasmine couldn't understand what was he was talking about. She desperately looked at other guards, but all of them lowered their heads. "She desperately wondered if she was dreaming, but the cold feeling of the iron bars against her skin was telling her she was not.

"Your sultan?" She looked at her father lying on the ground unmoving, and the figure appearing from the darkness before her. He looked achingly familiar, only his clothes were different.

In fact, Jasmine gasped with realization, he was wearing her father's turban- the sultan's turban.

"Salam, princess." The grand vizier Jafar smiled.

"Jafar…" Jasmine hissed, gripping the bars desperately, her eyes burning, "How could you…" If she was not locked inside, she was sure she would tear the man into pieces.

"I had accomplices." Jafar ignored her glare, and nodded towards the person beside him, "I had a little help, princess."

Jasmine followed his gaze, and her eyes widened as she caught the sight of another person behind him.

No, he was not a person. He looked like a person in the upper half, but his skin color was blue, and his bottom half was….a smoke.

He was not a person….not a creature even. She had heard stories about these mythical beings.

Jasmine's eyes grew wide with realization.

A _djin_.

**What do you think? Let me know in the reviews. **

**I am glad that we have crossed 50 reviews, faves, and follows. Thank you for being with me. **

**Next chapter- the new sultan**


	9. Djin and friends

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 9- Djin and Friends**

Everything was so puzzling. It still felt like a terrible nightmare.

"So, princess," A creepy smile crossed the vizier's face as he proudly gazed at his slave. "What do you think?"

What did she think? She was trapped behind iron bars, and her father's most trusted vizier wearing her father's turban. Did it matter anymore? Jasmine's throat tightened and tears stung her eyes as she watched the creepy vizier taking one step closer towards her. Strange energy filled the dungeons. She felt the ends of her hair lift.

Jasmine tightened her grip on the iron bars.

The vizier stopped an inch away from her. He was watching her, a low fire burning in his eyes. Jasmine stared back. His breath brushed her skin, and she cringed. She closed her eyes, unable to hold his gaze anymore. She shivered when Jafar placed one of his fingers under her chin and tilted her chin upwards.

"You know the fate of the rulers who are defeated in the war." His voice cut through the air like the edge of a dagger. Jasmine opened her eyes to find Jafar's nose almost brushing her cheek. The fire in his eyes was gone. Instead, there was….Jasmine sucked in a breath….lust.

"And you know what happens to their women." He whispered close to her ear, his one hand firmly gripping hers. Jasmine tried to twist away, but his firm grip on her arm kept her from moving. She almost felt breached when his eyes roamed over her. Slowly, and very slowly a grin appeared on his face. Jasmine held her breath.

"But you are too beautiful to be wasted like that. I am willing to offer you something, princess." He grinned. Jasmine held her breath and looked into the vizier's eyes.

"Be my queen."

"I will not take your offer." She replied firmly, holding a dagger which she managed to steal from Jafar's waist, aiming at the vizier's heart.

This unexpected turn of events even surprised the vizier. It took him a few seconds to comprehend the whole thing, and Jasmine's dagger slashed through the air with the speed of light, aimed straight at his heart. Only his swift reflexes enabled him to deflect it with his arm, then twist the blade free of her death grip. As he jerked her away from her, throwing her on the ground, bright red blood was already sprouting from the cut she managed to inflict on his cheek.

"You bloodthirsty little wench!" He said in a savage roar, and Jasmine saw murder in his eyes. "There is no mercy for you. Or your father."

Jasmine didn't feel pain when her body hit the hard stone floor. She gritted her teeth and watched the vizier taking a step back, the guards already forming a protective circle around him.

"Hakim." He shouted. Hakim strode forward. Jasmine could not see his face; his back was turned towards her. She knew Hakim since she was a child, his loyalty to her father stood against so many tests.

But her father was no longer a sultan. And the guards were no longer his guards. They answered to Jafar. "My Sultan." He bowed. The rest of the guards followed him.

Jasmine watched them, anger replacing her fear. "You can't obey him, Hakim!" she shouted, and placed both of her hands on the ground, trying to stand. Pain shot through her ankle. She looked down to find her ankle twisted in a strange way. Turning, Jafar looked at her as if just noticing her. He raised an eyebrow as she went on, ignoring the pain in her ankle. "Remember who you are. Remember your sultan. Remember your past."

"Hakim, make the woman silent," Jafar commanded, clearly annoyed.

Jasmine held her breath as the head guard looked back and forth and finally nodded.

"As you wish, my sultan." He bowed and walked towards the cell holding her.

"Hakim…." She whispered again as the heard guard stopped outside her cell, "I know you to be both loyal and just." Her gaze wavered between the vizier and the head guard. She knew it was of no use. Still, she clung to the hope that her words could invoke some sense into her once-loyal guard. "Do you think he is worthy of your respect who uspered your sultan?" She sounded almost desperate.

Hakim remained still. For a moment Jasmine's eyes met his, and she saw something.

Regret…

She hated that feeling… Suddenly she realized no matter how she wanted to change the reality, it had already changed. It could not be undone. Even the Hakim knew it could not. Jafar was the sultan now. And she was no more a princess. Suddenly she felt pity for him.

"I am sorry, princess." Hakim shook his head as if trying to shake away the guilt.

And then the jail cell bars slid open jolted her out of her thoughts, and Jasmine's eyes widened when Hakim entered into the cell and maneuvered her on her feet. Jasmine let out a cry as she put weight on her injured ankle, but Hakim's strong arms kept her from falling. He bowed over slightly, and the rest of the guards did the same.

"I will follow you, my princess." He looked to his men. "Guards! Arrest the vizier."

As the guards stepped forward to take Jafar captive, Jasmine smiled. She knew it wasn't the perfect time; in fact, it was a rather terrible situation, but she had done it. She had made Hakim hear her. Her heart swelled with pride, and the head guard smiled when she looked at him.

Yet the smile faded on her lips as she looked over at Jafar. The air around him seemed to have grown darker and his face was full of fury.

As the guards moved to grab Jafar, he stepped back, evading their grasp. Rage filled his face and made his dark features even darker. "So, this is how it will be," he sneered. "Not even the title of the sultan will wake the herd from their sleep." He shook his head. "I should have known."

"Genie." He commanded, and the blue being floated to his side, his head bowed. "Yes, master."

Jasmine's eyes widened as she stared at the blue creature floating beside the former grand vizier Jafar. He was wearing a golden earring and the golden wristbands of a slave. He was bald except for a tiny black topknot held with a golden thong and a beard with a pointed tip. His eyes were almond-shaped and glittery. So, the djin was under the command of the vizier.

But how could the vizier acquire a djin as his slave?

But there was no time to think. Because the former vizier pulled out an ugly brass lamp from his satchel and rubbed its side. The genie soared higher and, the air in the dungeon became strangely still.

"I wish you to bow to my every command until I make my last wish. I command you to punish everyone who disobeyed me."

"Yes, master." The djin bowed and rubbed his hands. Instantly, there was an explosion of magic. Colors lit up the dark dungeon, illuminating the walls in a riot of reds and yellows and greens, like a magical fireworks display. Thunder boomed and echoed, shaking the stone walls. The guards moved away from the vizier as blue smoke began curling around him, and turned into a whip, throwing all of them on the ground.

"Princess, you must go now." Hakim tightened his grip around Jasmine's hand and pushed her forward.

"But, baba…" Jasmine's eyes caught the unconscious body of her father in a corner.

"I will look after him." Hakim nodded, as he dragged her near the gate of the prison cell, but both of them were thrown on the ground as if an invisible wall grew before them.

"Hakim." Jasmine cried as she watched the head guard becoming motionless on the ground beside her.

"Hakim." Jasmine shook Hakim's shoulder, even resorted to slapping his face. But the head guard remained motionless as before. She crawled near the sultan, still lying unconscious on the ground. She bent over to shield the sultan as another wave of magic busted through the dungeon.

She looked around her. The torches on the wall grew dim; strange darkness wrapped the already dark dungeon. Her eyes darted towards the corridor outside the cell where Jafar stood in the middle of the frightened guards on their knees, his cobra staff in his hand, the djin looming beside him.

"So, princess," He turned his attention towards the princess curled on the ground beside her fallen father, still shaking. "Are you ready to accept my offer? Maybe for your father? You have seen what I can do. But if you accept my offer, I promise not to hurt him."

"Don't trust him."

This time the answer came from the sultan.

"Baba," Jasmine clutched her father's wrists, immediately felt relief to see him opening his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I am, dear." The old sultan nodded and grabbed Jasmine's hand as she helped him to sit up. He grabbed her hands desperately as he looked into her eyes, "Don't listen to him, Jasmine. He betrayed me."

Jafar raised his eyebrows, amused. "Now the old man speaks. An old useless man."

"Shut your mouth, Jafar," Jasmine shouted, unable to hold her anger.

"Shut your mouth, woman." Jafar glared.

"How dare you speak to my daughter like that?" This time the sultan bellowed. Even in this grim situation his voice echoed across the walls, made Jafar turn his attention to the former sultan.

An uncomfortable silence wrapped the cell once more as they continued glaring at each other. Suddenly the silence was shuddered with Jafar's outburst, "How dare you to speak to me, you old man? Don't you remember what happened to your wife?"

"Jafar…" The sultan shouted, "Hold your tongue. Remember your past."

"I do." An evil smirk began to appear on his lips. His icy eyes continued taking the old sultan from head to toe. Once again Jasmine felt a shiver running down her spine. She knew Jafar had been in Shirabad jail for five years before he came to Agrabah. But the unwavering glare between her father and the former vizier told another story.

"Baba…" She whispered, but the sultan raised his hand to stop her.

"Remember Jafar." He continued in the same quiet tone, "What I have done for you."

Suddenly the lines of Jafar's face began to twist as if he was in pain. "Shut up, old man." He finally shouted. "Genie." He turned to his mythical djin slave, "Make the man see what he had done to me."

The man's order caught djin off-guard. "What?"

"_Punish him_," the vizier repeated, enunciating each word to his slave, "And make him give up his most precious thing." The anger disappeared from his face and was replaced with a burst of maniacal laughter, as the djin sighed in anguish.

"That's an order."

"Baba…" Before Jasmine could crawl near her father, she was tugged by an invisible rope and threw against the opposite wall. The djin waved his finger, and dark smoke began to curl from his fingertips, pinning the sultan to the floor, line of pain appearing in his face. He fell face on the stone floor, his head banging painfully against the stone floor in the process.

"Baba.." Jasmine struggled with all of her might, but the djin magic was too strong for her. Her gaze fell on her father's face, all the lines of pain appearing on his face. Her heart froze when she saw Jafar finally walking inside the prison cell.

"So," Jafar couched before her, tilting her face with the tip of his cobra staff, his grin widening. "Do you want your father to suffer more?"

"No, Jasmine." The sultan tried to struggle against the force holding him to the ground, but once again another wave of pain rippled through his body. He let out a cry and Jasmine's heart broke into pieces.

Jasmine tried her best to suppress a scream. She squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that it hurt, and she cursed herself as she felt the hot tears running down her cheeks. She failed.

"I will accept your offer, only if you let baba go." She whispered at last.

"Done." Jafar grinned and looked at the djin. The djin waved his fingers again, the dark smoke that bound the old sultan began to return to the mystical being. And finally, his sweaty, bloody body slumped on the floor.

"Baba…" Jasmine tried to run near her father, but Jafar's grip on her arm stopped her.

"Not so fast, princess. " His hot breath brushed her ear, "You are coming with me. To join my harem tonight."

.

.

.

At the end of the third day—or maybe it was the middle of the fifth; it was hard to tell—Aladdin began to hallucinate.

He imagined there was a tiny monkey with him that wore a tiny vest just like him. He imagined there was a magic carpet helping him and waving its tassels around like a worried mother hen.

Aladdin decided to keep his eyes forward and continue digging. Things that weren't real would just distract him.

He heard some metallic sound above him. Someone was digging.

Digging…

Someone had come for him. He squinted his eyes as yellow light poured into the cave. Sunlight. Daylight.

"Aladdin." Someone called his name. The voice sounded strangely like Morgiana.

He was hallucinating again. But he ignored the reality and kept digging. If a hallucination could keep his mind from going crazy, then so be it.

A few minutes of pushing rocks aside and scraping away sand revealed that this, at least, was not a hallucination. A tiny pinhole, no larger than an ant tunnel, was filtering in sunlight that the cave greedily sucked in.

"Aladdin, are you here?" The voice only grew stronger. Aladdin blinked and grabbed almost unconscious Abu. His grip was unsteady, but he kept pushing the scrabbles and stones further, blindly following the voice. And the sunlight began to shine brighter and brighter. After tearing off several more fingernails in desperation, Aladdin finally managed to make a path enough to follow the voice.

"Aladdin." The voice called again.

"Aladdin." The voice grew stronger and stronger. A few more pushes, and loose stone, Aladdin squinted in the daylight, and a familiar face came into his view.

"Morgiana." He exclaimed. How on earth did she find him? But his head was so jumbled that he could not think anything anymore. The hole Morgiana dug was wide enough to fit him. "Give me your hand." She told him.

He grabbed her hand, with all the strength he had. The vizier's betrayal flushed in his mind for a moment. No, he wouldn't die here. He held on to her like a lifeline.

After a few maneuvering, and pulling and pushing, finally he tumbled into the outside world. He blinked and squinted in the sunlight a few times. He had been living in the dark so long.

"You are alive." He almost tumbled to the sands as Morgiana wrapped her arms around him clinging to him like a lifeline.

If he was in his right mind, he could see the relief in Morgiana's face, the tears when she saw his face. Even he did not care how she found him. Right now he didn't care anything. All he cared that he was alive.

"I see the sun." He almost laughed like a madman, freeing himself from Morgiana's tight embrace.

Aladdin laughed like a madman under the deadly desert sun. Its heat on his face felt _alive._ Abu stayed still unconscious in his arms, and the carpet floated beside him. He sat on the hot desert sat for a moment, and breathed in the open air. His head felt so light, that he felt he would faint anytime. He took a few sips from the waterskin that Morgiana offered him.

"Thank you." He returned the waterskin to her, his head was spinning. He almost tumbled backward as he stood, but Morgiana caught him in time. She slipped her arm under his and led him to the ground. The carpet flew beside them. It nudged her arm gently with its tussles.

"Let's go home." She gently guided him to the carpet.

The carpet spread itself out and Aladdin rolled on, barely able to keep himself awake. "_Agrabah._ Take me to Agrabah."

The carpet rose in the air. Leaning against Morgiana's lap, Aladdin closed his eyes. He was tired, very tired.

The world around him finally faded into oblivion.

**Let me know what you think in the reviews. Faves and follows will be awesome too. **

**From this point story really picks up. I am open to your ideas too.**

**Next chapter- The sultan's harem and the street rat's home**


	10. Darkness descends

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 10- Darkness Descends**

Jasmine could not recognize the girl in her reflection.

She watched as a young servant girl dusted her bare shoulders with flakes of gold that caught the light from the setting sun, but none of these thick layers of makeup could hide the bruises blooming under her skin. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw a stranger. She had dark hair, a sharp face like her, but that was where the similarities stopped. _She _did not have bruises of various colors and a split lip. _She _did not have dark circles under her eyes. She could not possibly be her, though she moved when she moved. She looked nothing like the princess famed for her beauty across the seven deserts. She looked like someone else. Someone completely different.

After all, she was not a princess anymore. She was a prisoner, another addition to the new sultan's harem. And soon to be the new sultan's wife.

"I don't wear necklaces," Jasmine said when Dalia began to fasten a jewel-encrusted behemoth around her throat.

"It is a gift from the new sultan. You must wear it, princess." Dalia whispered, her voice laced with fear.

Jasmine looked at Dalia and her lips turned up in a sarcastic smile. "And if I don't? Will he kill me?"

"Please, princess, I—"

Jasmine turned her gaze from the handmaid and looked back at the mirror. She was glad that Jafar allowed Dalia to remain as her handmaid. But the girl standing before her was not the Dalia she knew. Her usual cheerfulness was gone. Her usual sparkling eyes were dull, and fear became the permanent feature of her face.

She sighed. "I suppose now is not the time to make this point."

"I know." Dalia glanced away in discomfort before turning to assist with Jasmine's purple veil. Dalia was the first girl to be taken to the new sultan's bed after the fateful night. Jasmine feared it was her turn, but it was not. The door was sealed by powerful djinn magic. She sat through the night only to hear Dalia's heartbreaking whimpers tearing the silence of the night. She knew Jafar did this only to hurt her, to make her watch her best friend being dragged away against her will, and she could do nothing. She knew he would continue to hurt her loved ones until she bent to his will. Until she gave up his demand to be his queen.

Jasmine lowered her eyes unable to look at Dalia anymore.

This time, the knock at the door demanded attention rather than requested it.

"The sultan demands your presence now." A booming voice spoke from the door. It belonged to none of the guards. Instead, it belonged to the blue djinn slave of Jafar.

Dalia and Jasmine exchanged looks. It was time.

"Jasmine…" Dalia grabbed Jasmine's hand, "Don't go."

"It's alright, Dalia." Jasmine gently freed her hand from hers, squared her shoulders and lifted her pointed chin. She took a bold step towards the djinn, and nodded, "Let's go."

The djinn gave her a surprised glance. Probably he didn't think the princess would follow him so easily. Behind him two more guards moved forward, ready to shackle her wrists. Jafar always feared that she might run away. Or simply he liked to keep his women in chains. But the djinn raised his hand and bowed his almost bald head.

"Thank you, "Jasmine said to the mythical slave, almost grateful not being shackled this time. The djinn nodded. For a while, Jasmine wondered if she saw a hint of a smile on his blue lips. But the djinn immediately looked away.

He moved aside to make way for her, "This way Princess." He sounded almost mournful. Jasmine wondered if the powerful djinn ever regretted the actions he did for Jafar. For making the old sultan suffer, for making an innocent girl losing her virginity against her will. Or making a girl be married against her will.

Jasmine bit her lips to keep her tears from falling. This was not how she had expected her wedding to go. She had pictured flowers and music and her friends and loved ones around her. She had imagined hushed gasps as she walked in wearing the purple gown her mother had worn at her own wedding, every inch covered with opalescent beading. Turquoise covering the neckline and plunging down the back, a nod to the brightness and beauty of Agrabah's sea. And most importantly, she had expected the groom greeting her to make her heart race with happiness, not make her stomach lurch with disgust.

But it seemed like only a dream. The reality was she was going to marry Jafar.

She did not know why Jafar wanted to marry her when he could just force her in his bed. Instead, he kept hurting her father, her best friend. Why did he keep doing that and make her watch? Did it please him to see people suffer? Thinking about his sadistic pleasure, Jasmine wanted to throw up. But she kept a straight face and pressed a hand to her chest. Unwittingly, her fingertips brushed the edge of the thick gold necklace clasped around her throat. It felt heavy . . . stifling. She allowed her fingers to wrap around the offending instrument, thinking for a moment to rip it from her body.

The rage was comforting. A friendly reminder.

_Baba. Dalia._

She could not let them suffer for her anymore. She curled her toes within their sandals and threw back her shoulders once more. Without a word, she resumed her walk.

When they reached the massive double doors leading into the throne room, Jasmine realized her heart was racing at twice its normal speed. The doors swung open with a distended groan, and she saw Jafar sitting on her father's throne. The head imam had already been summoned to perform the ceremony. The poor imam looked terrified, and Jasmine could only imagine what Jafar had told him the consequence would be if he did _not_ agree to marry them. The man's shaking hands held the book with the vows. All of her father's councilors were present as the witnesses, and Jasmine looked at them. She couldn't but note the mute horror written all over their faces.

Jafar fidgeted with his beard as Jasmine approached, wrapping it in tight coils around his index finger. He wore a dark red robe with a matching red turban.

At Jafar's feet sat her father, the former sultan, perched motionless on the top step of the dais, staring at nothing. His eyes lit up when he saw her, but soon he was yanked backward by the rope tied around the sultan's throat. The puffy, welted flesh showed where the rope had abraded his skin. The other end of the rope snaked upward, over the steps of the dais, to rest in Jafar's hand.

"Baba…" Jasmine tried to race near her father, but soon she was tugged backward by a blue smoke wrapped around her arms. She looked back and saw the djinn weaving a smoky rope around her wrists. He nodded regretfully when their eyes met.

Jafar rose from his throne to greet her. Jasmine cringed when his fingers wrapped around her wrist. He nodded towards the djinn to withdraw his magic, and Jasmine felt the force around her arms loosened.

"Hello, beloved," Jafar said in his oily "cheerful" voice. "Shall we proceed to say our vows?"

"Does my opinion still matter?" Jasmine asked dully.

"Actually it does not." Jafar grew thoughtful, looking almost concerned. He took a step closer to her. Jasmine looked away in disgust. Jafar signaled the imam to move on with the ceremony. The blue djinn floated behind him. The terrified man looked at the ominous blue figure looming behind him and gulped like a dying fish. But no words came out and his hands just began to shake more.

"Stop shaking and do your job," Jafar hissed.

Jasmine could not but feel pity for the terrified man. She glanced at her father lying at Jafar's feet; she knew she was not in any better position.

The imam nodded nervously. "My Sultan Jafar," he began, "in the name of Allah, do you take Princess Jasmine to be your wife?"

"I do," Jafar began, "In the name of Allah, I am taking you as my wife and queen. I will look after you for the rest of your life."

Jasmine looked over at him, not bothering to hide the revulsion that coursed through her. Look after her? They both knew what he really meant. He would have been sincerer if he had said, _I am planning to make your life a living hell. _

"Princess Jasmine?" the imam said, turning his frightened gaze toward her now.

Jasmine swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat. She looked over at her father. She had to do this. She had to. But somehow her words seemed stuck in her throat. "I…I…" She stammered.

"No, Jasmine!" The sultan cried at Jafar's feet.

"Shut up, you old man." Jafar tugged the end of the rope around the sultan's neck tighter, and the old man tumbled at the former vizier's feet, fanatically tugging at the noose around his neck. The councilors gasped in horror, but no one dared to step forward.

"Baba." Jasmine cried as she watched her father gasping for air. She rushed over to him.  
"Don't do that." The sultan wheezed, and Jasmine threw her arms around her father's neck. "It's alright, baba." She whispered in his ear, and held his head in her arms, and looked at Jafar.

"You promised you will not hurt my father if I marry you." Jasmine hissed, still cradling her father's head in her arms, as the sultan struggled to catch his breath, "Why are you doing that to him?"

"Did I?" Jafar raised one eyebrow, and a sarcastic smile began to appear on his lips. "But you have not said yes princess."

Jasmine stared at the hateful man in the mute horror. She just could not imagine how her father trusted this man for so many years.

"You can never earn my daughter's love in this way Jafar." The sultan whispered. "You know that."

"I don't care about earning your daughter's love, you fool," Jafar snarled, "I have power and magic. Watch me make your daughter my wife before your eyes." He slammed the end of his cobra staff on the floor, and Jasmine felt a wave of heat radiating around him. The council gasped and stepped back.

Jafar looked at the djinn looming over the wedding altar and signaled him to take care of the business. Jasmine was thrown away from her father as blue magic busted from the djinn's fingers, and the sultan screamed in pain.

"Stop it, Jafar," Jasmine screamed, "I am saying Yes."

"Now you are talking, _Princess_," Slowly a devilish grin began to appear in Jafar's lips "Or should I say W_ife_."

Jasmine glanced at the imam, and the imam shook his head mournfully. She was now Jafar's wife.

Jafar strode over to the genie, gesturing widely with his arms. "Genie, I want you to arrange a magnificent wedding night for us." Jasmine cringed as his eyes roamed over her body with unveiled lust. "I want my queen to be ready to please me tonight."

"And what about the bride's father?" the djinn pointed out dryly.

"Just dispose of him somewhere." Jafar kicked the former sultan who was still panting heavily on the floor, "I do not have any use of him anymore."

"Yes, master." The djinn sighed and waved his hand. A cloud of blue smoke began to appear around the former sultan.

Jasmine stifled a scream as her father slowly began disappearing into the smoke. "Baba…" She tried to crawl near her disappearing father, trying to hold whatever remaining piece of him was still visible through the smoke, but she let out a scream of pain as Jafar grasped her arm and yanked her on her feet.

"Not so fast, wife. Not so fast." He whispered in her ears. Jasmine tilted her head to meet his gaze, and a shiver ran down her spine.

.

.

.

The carpet flew over the sand dunes, and Morgiana gently nudged Aladdin. Aladdin started, sucking in a sharp breath as if he had just surfaced after being immersed in water.

"Wha…" He opened his mouth to speak, but immediately closed when he looked down. He was no more trapped in a cave. Instead, they were flying over a desert, and he was lying comfortably on a flying carpet.

"I am alive," Aladdin whispered softly. He could not still believe he was out of the dark cave, still breathing in the cold desert air.

"I can see that," Morgiana whispered beside him. Aladdin turned to look at the girl beside him. Her dark skin was glowing in the moonlight. Exhaustion and sweat still lingered to her body. If not she was there, Aladdin wondered if he could make out here alive. He felt a pang of guilt as his eyes met her expecting gaze. He hadn't thanked her yet.

"Thank you, Morgiana." Aladdin smiled.

Slowly, and very slowly a smile spread across Morgiana's face as she helped him to seat up. "No need to thank me, Al." She unwrapped some dates and a waterskin from the bag, she was carrying with her. Aladdin hadn't noticed how much hungry he was. He picked up the waterskin and gulped down the water. He picked up the dates and began to swallow them urgently. Abu chattered happily on his shoulder and picked on the dates. Aladdin took a deep breath, letting the cold desert air fill his lungs. He still could not believe he had actually made out of the cave alive.

Then, and just then he realized Morgiana's keen eyes were watching him. He swallowed the date he was munching and looked back at her.

"What?" He asked.

"It was that girl, isn't she?" Morgiana spoke, her voice like a dagger, her eyes not leaving his face. "You got caught because you broke into the palace."

Aladdin was taken aback by the accusations in her voice. How did she know about his secret meetings with Dalia…well the princess? The date he had swallowed almost stuck in his throat.

"Don't ask me how I found out." Morgiana's thin body was still shaking with anger, a drop of tear threatened to fall from her eyes. "When I heard about your capture, I was afraid. I thought you were dead."

"But I am alive." Aladdin tried to flash a bright smile and caught Morgiana's arm. Morgiana slapped his arm hard, but eventually, she fell in his embrace. Aladdin wrapped his arms around her shoulder. She was still shaking. He knew she loved him, even risked her life. But his thoughts drifted to the girl in the palace.

What happened to the princess?

Did she suffer disgrace for being caught with a street boy in the public? What did her father think when he found out about their secret meetings?

The mountains shrank behind them as the city of Agrabah appeared ahead, a twinkle of soft light on the edge of the vast Arab Sea. The city is roughly egg-shaped, divided into districts by high walls and cut through the center by a river running from the northwest, toward the great River Qo and the mountain kingdoms beyond.

He looked back at Morgiana, and then patted the carpet softly. The carpet, amazing thing it was. They had made a journey of weeks in a matter of a day.

"We are at home," Aladdin whispered softly.

As the carpet flew past the city gate, Agrabah glittered in the night, and Aladdin could make out the bobbing torches carried by the watchmen atop the wall. He continued to look down as another person carrying torch appeared and joined the first one. Then another and another. Morgiana gave Aladdin a suspicious glance. The carpet flew behind a tall building, causing them being obscured from their view. Few more people gathered the torch holders and began to head towards the main streets. Aladdin guided the carpet behind the shadows and began to follow the men carrying torches.

In the main street, there were more people, camels, dancers, and singers gathered in the form of a procession. All of them seemed to head towards one direction.

The palace.

"What is happening here?" Aladdin threw Morgiana a curious look. He had been away from the rest of the world for the last five days. He had no idea what was happening in Agrabah. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. Jasmine...

It certainly did not look like a procession of another prince to court the princess.

Morgiana was confused too. "I don't know." She returned his gaze.

Worry for the princess made him grab the carpet's tussles hards and ordering the carpet to follow the procession. Morgiana threw him an annoyed glare, but Aladdin ignored her. As he guided the carpet to follow the procession towards the palace balcony, he could not but notice how strange those people looked. Well, most of the people in the city were strange in one way or another, but it seemed like they were afraid of something.

The carpet stopped in front of the palace balcony perhaps a little harder than it needed to, causing Aladdin and Morgiana to tumble into one of the rooftops of the building facing the royal balcony.

"What are you trying to tell me, Carpet?" Aladdin said, brushing away the specks of dust from his shirt. It was a rough landing. Morgiana crawled near the ledge to have a better view.

"Al," Morgiana caught his arm and pulled him in with her. "Look." She pointed towards the two figures appearing in the balcony.

Aladdin followed her gaze and his heart almost stopped when he saw their faces in the flickering torchlight.

The grand vizier Jafar. And in his arms, there was a woman. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Princess Jasmine.

"Long Sultan Jafar. Long live Sultana Jasmine." The crowd cried below.

**Not my best. A little bit of writer's block is bothering me. Let me know what you think in the reviews. Faves and follows will be awesome too. **

**Thanks to all who have read and reviewed this story so far. We have crossed 60 reviews and faves. Let's make it a hundred. **

**Next chapter- Jasmine's wedding night**


	11. Hope

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 11- Hope **

How could it be possible?

Aladdin blinked, hoping the nightmare would disappear. But it did not. The new sultan was waving at the cheering crowd below, giving some kind of speech about bring back the glory of Agrabah. But Aladdin could not hear any of his words; his eyes were fixed on the new sultana standing stiffly beside Jafar.

Aladdin sucked in a deep breath. He gripped the corner of the carpet tight, exhaustion almost overwhelmed him. He still hadn't eaten much, and the events of the past several days were taking their toll. His eyes were burning, trying to hold back his tears. He felt Morgiana's hands gripping his right arm.

"Al." Morgiana's voice was full of concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," he said, waving a hand at her. He collapsed as gracefully on the carpet as he could and stared at the starry sky above. Nothing made sense anymore. How Jafar could be the sultan? What happened to the old sultan? And how on earth the princess agreed to marry him? Her kiss on that fateful night was still burning his mind. Every word she spoke….every kiss they shared… everything felt so genuine. Could she be only playing with him? She was not suddenly into that creepy grand vizier, was she?

His eyes traveled to Jasmine in the balcony, wrapped in her new husband's arm. Her face was half-covered with a transparent veil; her eyes were downcast as if she was drowned in a feeling of deep sorrow.

Something was not right.

What if Jafar forced her to marry him? He had been tricked by the grand vizier not so long ago, and almost died in a cave. What if he threatened her? Driven by twin demons fear and worry, Aladdin surged to his feet and glanced at the royal couple waving at the cheering crowd below. He could not stop until he found the truth.

"I am going into the palace." He declared.

"What?" Morgiana threw him a surprised look. "Have you gone mad? They will kill you."

"I need to know why she married that vizier," Aladdin said drawled; his gaze was fixed on the sultana standing stiffly beside the former vizier. His jaws firmly set, and his nostrils flared. Morgiana knew this look. Aladdin was determined. Nothing could stop him now.

"What good that does to you?" Morgiana said, shrugging. "She is the sultana now. Nothing can change that, even if she is forced to marry that vizier."

"And evil keeps going around," Aladdin swore angrily, hopping over the carpet. "Morgiana, I have seen the real face of the vizier. He is the one who trapped me inside that bloody cave. He did something to the princess."

"You are mad," Morgiana decided, then made a clicking noise and raised her chin to meet his eyes. "You are in love with her."

"I don't know." Aladdin shook his head, "Besides…" But he was cut off by a slap on his arm. "Go, tiger." Morgiana crouched down to see the disappearing crowd below, "They are going inside. It is time. I will be waiting here."

Aladdin could not but note a hint of sadness in her voice, but he ignored the feeling and grabbed the tussles of the carpet. There was no time to lose. The carpet rose in the air to carry him over the palace gates.

.

.

.

"Are you ready for the night, my sultana?" Jafar whispered in Jasmine's ear. His one arm was wound around her shoulder, rubbing the bare skin there. Her skin crawled under his touch.

"You banished my father," Jasmine said dully.

"Oh, is that still bothering you? You must be grateful that I have not killed him." He grew thoughtful, looking almost concerned. "I could _make_ you forget about him if you like.…"

"No!" Jasmine cried.

"Love me, my sultana. I promise I will give you everything your heart's desire." Slowly and very slowly his lips turned up in a smile. He grasped both of Jasmine's shoulders and drew her close, his mouth descending to her lips. Jasmine sucked in a breath, fearing that Jafar might kiss her, and the thought of his lips against hers almost made her vomit. She balled her fists and pressed against his face hard.

"I will never love you, you monster." She hissed.

The former vizier cried in pain and stepped back. "You little monster." He hissed, throwing her away from him. Jasmine landed on the floor, her head banging against the cold marble floor. She bit her lips as pain shot through her head and felt a thin line of blood streaming from her forehead. Dalia rushed to help her up but was immediately dragged away by the guards. When Jasmine looked up, she saw a thin, closed-lip smile that reached to his ears but not to his eyes.

"I never wanted to force you, my love." Jafar snarled. "But you leave me no choice. Just like your mother did before you."

_Her mother?_ Jasmine's eyes widened. _What about her mother? _

Jafar strode over to the djinn looming beside him, gesturing widely with his arms. "Genie, listen to my last wish. I want you to make my sultana desperately fall in love with me."

Everyone in the room was shocked into silence. Even the djinn.

Jasmine heard strange noises coming from the back of her throat like she was about to throw up. How did her fate strike to this point? She felt her throat burning, and she blinked back the tears she didn't know she was holding back. The djinn loomed above them like a thick blue cloud. Jasmine closed her eyes, bracing herself for a blast of magic about hit her. But no magic busted from his fingertips this time.

Jasmine opened her eyes. She mentally assessed herself. Did she feel different? How did she feel about Jafar? The urge to vomit returned.

Jafar's look of smugness began to slowly fade into confusion.

The genie coughed quietly.

"O great one who summons me and the terrible one who commands me, as I was saying before, my power has some limitations. I can't make anybody fall in love with anybody." the djinn pointed out dryly.

Jasmine's eyes widened. This creature had limitations? There was no worse fate—she could currently think of—than being a love-slave zombie to that hideous shell of a man. Maybe there was still a bit of hope left.

Jafar didn't say anything, but Jasmine saw the edge of his mouth begin to twitch in anger. He was not the man who reacted well to disappointment.

"What is the use of djinn who has limitations?" he growled.

"Hey, it's not my fault…" the djinn said, getting offended, "You better rely on your own measures to make her fall for you." He suggested hopefully, nodding towards Jasmine. For a moment, Jasmine wondered if she saw a kind of relief in the creature's eyes too.

"Shut up." Jafar bellowed. The djinn's face fell immediately.

"Make her come to my bed tonight! I don't want to hear any more excuses." He commanded.

"Yes, master." The djinn bowed his head, nodding miserably. "As your command." He floated near Jasmine and looked into her eyes. "I am sorry, mistress."

Maybe she was wrong, but Jasmine wondered if there was a hint of sadness in his almond eyes. Maybe a drop of tear shining in the corner of his eyes. Once she heard that djinns were once human, but their greed turned them into creatures of fire and light. She did not know if the myths were true, but she wanted to believe now. Maybe...maybe.. the djinn still had a small amount of conscience left from his human days...

"Please..." She mouthed.

"Quick.." Jafar threw his cape aside and strode forward. Jasmine found she suddenly had golden shackles around her wrists, drawing her hands together. The genie swooped in behind them, and she found herself compelled to march, trailing behind Jafar.

No, she was wrong. There was nothing human about this creature. He was a slave of his master's command.

With every step she took, Jasmine felt the hate rise in her blood, along with the clarity of her fate. She stared at the man before her, her eyes never wavering. His hateful smile returned to his face, pleased with his apparent victory.

"Don't worry, sultana." He whispered in her ear, "I will be gentle."

Jasmine sucked in a deep breath, holding back the urge to spit on his face. The wrath seethed below the surface, bringing a flush to her cheeks. _I will not bow to your whim, Jafar. Make no mistake. I will make you pay for everything you did to my people._

But how? She had no idea.

She looked behind her. There were guards, and the omnipotent djinn looming above them with all of his powers. There was no way to escape.

As she followed Jafar through the corridors, she felt one guard marching faster, catching up with her, his arm touching her bound hands.

"Hey." Jasmine tried to flinch away. She had enough of Jafar today. She didn't need another man touching her in the wrong way.

"Hush, princess," The guard whispered, and there was a strange familiarity in his voice that made Jasmine look into his eyes.

She gasped when her eyes met those big beautiful brown eyes.

Aladdin.

**Leave your comments to tell me what you think about this chapter. Faves and follows will be awesome too. I have not heard many of you for a while, wondering if you are still reading. **

**Yeah, this story has gotten a bit slow…but wait…I have some plans for this. I am also open to your ideas too…so let me know in the reviews. **

**Next chapter- Far from Agrabah. And Genie/Dalia is also coming up very soon. **


	12. The escape

**Almost Heaven**

_By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty_

**Chapter 12- The Escape**

"Hey, boy, what are you doing there?" Aladdin's head jerked with a firm grip on his arm. He looked up to find a guard looking straight into his face. "How dare you stand near the sultana?" He demanded.

Aladdin swallowed, feeling Jasmine's anxious look over his shoulder. "I…I…" He stammered, trying to make a believable excuse for his suspicious behavior.

"Ah, Razoul. Leave the boy alone." Jasmine spoke beside him. Aladdin recognized the solider immediately- the new head of the palace guards, Razoul. "He might be one of the new recruits. He is not doing any harm."

The guard holding Aladdin's arm frowned, but his grip on his arm loosened. "Yes, my sultana." He released his arm and threw him a warning glare "Try to stay in the line boy. I will not allow such a mistake next time."

"Yes, sir." Aladdin released the breath he didn't know he was holding and stepped back. His eyes met Jasmine's for a moment. He shook his head, trying to mouth some kind of reassurance and gratitude, but she quickly looked away.

He continued to follow the possession through the corridor, trying to catch Jasmine's attention with every step, but each and every time he was blocked by suspicious glances from one guard or another. The head guard possibly told others to watch over him. Jasmine kept her head bowed, chains jingling with every step she took. Aladdin could not see her face anymore, but he knew she was crying. It hurt him to see the once fierce princess so helpless.

No, he could not let this happen. Aladdin shook his head. He just couldn't stand here and let her suffer. He needed a plan. He looked around to find a nook to escape, but unfortunately, each and every corner of the palace was heavily guarded.

"My sultan."

Suddenly the possession halted by a cheerful voice greeting the new sultan in the corridor. The voice sounded strangely familiar. Aladdin looked over the shoulder of one of the tall soldiers in front of him and saw a man with a flurry of bright-colored robes and fur hat. He recognized the man immediately. The clown prince from Skånland- Prince Anders.

"Also, my sultana." His eyes lit up with the sight of the new sultana and stepped forward to kiss Jasmine's hands. "You look gorgeous."

"Prince Anders." Jafar stepped in front of the prince, and slammed his cobra staff on the ground, "What brings you here now?" His cold eyes were piercing the prince. "If it is regarding my wife…"

"No…NO." Aladdin could not but slightly smile as the clown prince recoiled and took a step back. "I just wanted to discuss the treaty before I leave for my country." He stammered, eyes darting between Jasmine and the new sultan, "I want to leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Jafar frowned, clearly not expecting the news, "It's so early, prince."

"I…I need to go home, Sultan Jafar." The prince had still trouble formulating sentences. He eyed the cobra staff in Jafar's hand, and said, "My…My father called me back."

"Hm…" Jafar paused, clearly giving his idea a second thought. Aladdin had no idea about what these two were talking about, but he waited until he agreed to meet the prince in the throne room.

"Genie," Jafar ordered Jasmine away to the waiting hands of the maidservants, with two of his guards and the blue genie to follow. "Keep a close watch on my sultana's door. I don't want her running away," he said to them, and everyone laughed at his little joke.

"Yes, master." The djinn floated near Jasmine. "Come, sultana." He waved his hand and a smoky blue thread appeared. He wrapped the thread around her manacles and began to drag her forward. Jasmine stumbled. It took all of his willpower for Aladdin to stop himself from surging forward and hold her in his arms. Jafar caught her arm, jerked it to his mouth and kissed it. "I will come for you _soon,_" he whispered harshly, a hot, devout promise before he let her go.

Jasmine was visibly shaking as Jafar left with the prince. Anger almost threatened to overcome Aladdin's rational thoughts. Angry tears burned at the corner of his eyes. For a moment, all he wanted to run and catch the evil vizier's throat in his hands. But no, he sucked in a deep breath. He could not rush things right now. He waited until the guards began to resume the possession. He took a step back, then another, looking around as he reached a nearby pillar. Aladdin slammed himself against the closest wall as the last of the guards disappeared from his view, moving in an entirely different direction.

Abu scampered across the cold hall to be close to him, his tiny toenails clicking against the floor.

One of the guards who caught him earlier stopped.

"Rahim, wait. Have you seen the new boy? The captain told us to watch him over."

Aladdin closed his eyes and tried to still his heart. The silence was so complete and profound he was certain they could hear it beating.

"He was with the rest of the guards, Rahim." His companion shook his head. "You are too suspicious."

"I think I saw him slipping again."

Aladdin winced as the concerned guard walked near the pillar, spear raised. All he had to do was look behind it. The guard made a thorough scan of the place, turning his head slowly back and forth. Aladdin opened one eye and almost caught his breath when he saw how close to him the shiny, sharp spear tip was.

The silence stretched on.

"You are right, Abdullah. He is probably with the possession." the guard decided.

As he stepped back to rejoin his companion, Aladdin practically crumpled with relief.

He wasted no time, scurrying out of the room and ducking under a window through which the moon shone like a spotlight. He had a plan. And he could not waste any more time.

.

.

.

The maidservants stood there silently, fear written all over their features as the djinn unclasped the manacles from her hand. "I will be outside until the master comes back." He bowed and floated back, and then the door was shut.

"Go away," Jasmine ordered the maidservants as they walked near her to help her undress for the night. "I prefer to stay as I am."

"But, your highness, the sultan…" One of the maids started fearfully, Jasmine only silenced her with an angry glare. The maid flinched and stepped back.

"I said, go away," Jasmine shouted, unable to hold herself together anymore, and the maids slipped away without argument, leaving her alone, still dressed in her heavy gown.

Jasmine walked near the basin in the corner and placed her hands into the scented water. The coldness of the water pierced her skin, sending shivers through her bones. She rubbed her fingers over the spot where Jafar kissed her hand. She was seething; her hand felt dirty. Jasmine rubbed her hand until her fingers began to ache, as if rubbing his touch away from her skin would make her feel a bit better. She stared at the girl in the water. But the girl in the reflection was not her; she did not know the sad girl in there. Jasmine sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. A drop of tear slid from her eyes, rolled on her cheek.

She saw a ray of hope when she saw Aladdin among the guards, but her hope was shattered when one of the guards almost recognized him. She was glad that he was alive, but she did not him to be in trouble for her. He had enough because of her. She did not want him to suffer for her anymore.

Now she did not know what to do anymore. With a powerful djinn watching over her every move, an army bowing to the evil vizier's whim, she had no way to escape. She had never felt so helpless before.

"Princess," Jasmine raised her eyes to meet Dalia's, standing behind her, one hand touching her shoulder gently. Jasmine was surprised to find her still lingering here. There were dark circles under her eyes. The sadness in her eyes was piercing her soul.

"I am so sorry," Jasmine whispered.

"Don't be." Dalia wrapped her arms around her, and Jasmine collapsed in her arms. She held her as her body continued to tremble in her arms, tears soaking her expensive silk dress.

No, she could not give up. She could not let anyone suffer for her anymore. She was the princess, now the sultana, whether she wanted or not. It was her duty to protect her people. She splashed water on her face and stood up. Her gaze traveled to the open window. A sudden idea struck her mind.

"Dalia," She gazed at her handmaid hopefully, "Can we climb up there somehow?"

Dalia followed her eyes, and her eyes lit up. The window was situated almost close to the ceiling, but wide enough for one person to slip through. "Yes, we can." Finally, a smile appeared on Dalia's face.

"Then help me." Jasmine unpinned her veil and threw it away.

Together the girls began dragging the settee, and low stools under the window, and began placing one upon another. One settee and three stools later, it seemed high enough to reach the window.

Jasmine threw her skirt away, leaving her only in her sirwal and blouse. She could not climb the topmost stool in her gown. "Hold on, Dalia." She told the handmaid.

"What if you fall?" Dalia gave her a doubtful look, but held on the stools, securing them close to her body to support as Jasmine began to climb.

Something must have clicked somewhere; some invisible clock or quiet chime. Jasmine looked at the door and continued to climb, the pile shaking under her feet dangerously. She uttered a silent prayer hoping Jafar's meeting with the stupid prince to be a bit longer and reached for the topmost stool. She felt the cold desert air in her face as her fingers found the edge of the window. She inhaled deeply. It would take her only a minute or—

She opened her eyes, and a pair of eyes stared back at her.

Suddenly Jasmine lost her grip on the edge, the stools under her crumbled, sending her tumbling to the floor below. She landed over the soft carpet, with Dalia landing beside her. Something zoomed inside through the window, and Jasmine pushed Dalia aside, grabbing one of the candelabra, ready to throw at the intruder.

"Hey...Hey..." A familiar voice spoke.

Surprised, Jasmine looked up into Aladdin's equally surprised face. Beside her, Dalia, the handmaid, he guessed let out a surprised gasp. He gazed at the pile of stools now lying haphazardly on the floor, and then looked back at Jasmine. A blushed crept to his cheeks when he realized that she was in her undergarments.

"Uh, hi," Aladdin said, then averted his eyes, "I…I came back to rescue you. Which…though…now doesn't seem that necessary."

"But how?" Jasmine blinked, still unable to believe her eyes. There was only one window in the room, and the door was being guarded by the djinn. It seemed like an impossible situation. She walked near him and turned his face towards her. "Care to explain?"

"Um…," Aladdin started to explain, but Jasmine silenced him with a kiss. His eyes widened with the suddenness of the kiss, but his arms gradually wrapped around her waist. The familiar warmth of his body engulfed her, and she began to relax in his arms. The last few days were nothing but a nightmare, and now Aladdin's arms around her made her feel safer more than she felt ever in this heavily guarded palace. She leaned in his arms and wrapped her arms around him. Aladdin shivered a little as her body pressed against his, but he pulled her closer.

She would stay like that in his arms forever, pressed against his chest, then a knock at the door suddenly brought her back to reality.

"Somebody is here." Aladdin whispered, and then grabbed Jasmine's shoulders, "We need to escape now."

There was another knock at the door again, and Jafar's familiar footsteps echoed across the corridor. Abu hopped up on Aladdin's shoulder and began to critter so loudly that Aladdin had to clamp his hand over his mouth to shut him up.

"Princess," Dalia's frightened gaze darted to the door, "You need to escape. I am going to answer the door."

"What about you…" She looked at her friend hesitantly, realizing what Dalia was planning to do. Distracting Jafar to buy her time to escape.

"But..," Jasmine protested. She could not just leave her friend here with that evil monster alone.

The knock at the door was getting stronger and stronger. Dalia gazed back at the door then at Jasmine, and shook her head miserably, "It would be suspicious if not somebody answers the door."

"Dalia is right, princess." Aladdin said, nodding, "We all will be doomed if they break down the door now." Jasmine tried to open her mouth to protest, but Aladdin grabbed her hand and turned to go. Abu chattered in agreement. The carpet rose up.

_"What is that?"_

Jasmine tried to confine her shriek to a whisper. Aladdin was about to make some joke about her being a girly girl afraid of monsters but stopped. A girl who had to probably go through hell by a madman forcing her to marry him probably didn't need to imagine monsters. She could probably be forgiven for being a little jumpy.

"Oh, this?" Aladdin asked casually. "Magic Carpet. Magic Carpet, the royal princess Jasmine."

"A real…flying…carpet…" Jasmine said in awe, eyes wide. "Is it safe?"

"Yeah, _Royal Princess Jasmine_. Now, do you trust me?" Aladdin said with heavy irony. This girl dared to climb up to the window, punching an evil vizier in the face, asking whether riding a carpet safe or not.

She had the decency to blush a little. Aladdin sighed. This girl could be sometimes very annoying.

The knock at the door was getting stronger and stronger. Aladdin helped Jasmine settle on the carpet, and the carpet rose in the air. Dalia bit her lips and walked near the door. Jasmine could see her hand was shaking violently as she placed her hand on the door handle.

Jasmine grabbed Aladdin's arm tight as the magic carpet rose higher and higher to the window above. Jasmine closed her eyes and blinked back a tear. The knocking stopped, and she heard the creaking of the heavy oak doors opening below.

Cold desert wind blew to her face, and when she opened her eyes she found herself looking at the stars, flying in the air.

She looked down. Everything looked like tiny dots below. She narrowed her eyes, trying to find Dalia. The only thing she could see blasts of blue magic bursting through the window.

**Reviews will bring inspiration and ideas. Faves and follows will be awesome too.**

**Thanks for keeping up with my slow updates. It is one of the hardest chapters to write, and honestly, I am not happy with the outcome. I am rusty **

**Next chapter- Safehouses and Dalia's fate. **


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